PARENTS have been given a Christmas safety warning after after it was revealed festive tree lights are likely to have caused a house fire which killed a 45-year-old mum of five.

Clitheroe firefighters believe lights, which were hung around the net curtains of the house in Lime Street, are most likely to have caused the blaze, although investigations will continue over the next two or three days.

Pauline Stannard died in the fire at 11am on Sunday , while her two children, who lived with her, a 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, escaped by climbing from a bedroom window on to the porch roof.

But fire crews say the tragedy could have been prevented, had the family fitted a smoke alarm. Firefighters from Clitheroe station were in the Lime Street area just two weeks ago offering advice on fitting them.

Sub officer Ron Eatough said: "The sad thing is we were in the area only two weeks ago stressing how important it is to have smoke detectors. Unfortunately, this household didn't have one.

"If it had done, we wouldn't have been dealing with a fatality.

"Smoke alarms are your eyes and ears when you are asleep."

Mr Eatough said the incident was also distressing for the crews, as five of the 12 firefighters who attended were new to the service and had not dealt with a fatal incident before.

Mr Eatough added that most homes are more at risk from fires at this time of year, as plugs are overloaded with fairy lights and there are artificial Christmas trees and decorations around which are likely to burn easily.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) warned that people should always check their lights each year or buy new ones, as faulty ones not used for 11 months of the year could cause accidents.

Roger Vincent, of ROSPA, said that around 200 people go to hospital every year as a result of accidents with Christmas tree lights.

He added: "People keep Christmas tree lights for far too long in attics, and just take them out once a year and use them.

"If people have some which are quite old, they should consider replacing them, as cables, bulbs and plugs can be damaged.

"New ones, bought from a reputable establishment, are made to higher safety standards. You should also never attempt maintenance on tree lights with the power on."

The two retained fire crews from Clitheroe, who were at their homes when the call came for the fire, took just five minutes to get to the scene.

Wearing breathing apparatus, one crew checked the downstairs, while another checked upstairs. Mrs Stannard's body was found in the living room.

Early investigations have suggested that the lights at the window caught fire and fell onto a foam chair, which would have burned very quickly. A backdraft then blew the windows out of the ground floor.

A number of family pets also perished in the blaze, which Mr Eatough said was likely to add to the family's distress.