A SUCCESSFUL safety campaign that cut chip pan fire injuries in Lancashire by half is to be extended nationwide.

Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw launched the hard-hitting £1.5million advertising campaign today following the successful pilot project in the county last year.

He said: "Chip pan fires are the single largest cause of casualties in house fires, they are devastating in their effects on human lives and damage to property.

"When we piloted this campaign in Lancashire the number of chip pan fires was cut by a quarter and the number of injuries by half. I hope that this can be at least equalled - if not bettered - across the UK as a result of this national campaign."

A graphic television advert will be screened from today showing a chip pan fire victim and how to deal safely with a fire.

The message will be backed by more than 2.5million leaflets and posters and promotions by businesses, including Marks and Spencer, which will hold fire safety displays in its stores.

Mr Straw said: "Fires can and do happen to anybody. "This campaign will bring home the message that chip pans can hurt, maim or kill if they are not used with proper care and attention."

Lancashire has some of the worst statistics in Britain for chip pan fires and in 1997 three people were killed and 222 injured in 435 chip pan fires.

Mr Straw launched the Lancashire pilot scheme with Coronation Street star Les Battersby in April 1998 in Blackburn town centre. Firefighters showed the terrifying effects of pouring water on a pan of burning oil in demonstrations throughout East Lancashire.

And vouchers for electric deep fat fryers were given to people who handed in old chip pans in a "Bin the Pan" campaign.

The events led to a dramatic 25 per cent drop in the number of fires in 1998 and the number of injuries was halved to 113.

Three people lost their lives in chip pan fires during 1998, although one of the deaths was before the launch of the campaign.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.