A postmaster and his elderly mother had a lucky escape after a blaze hit the post office in Bloxham.

The postmaster's mother happened to be going down to the ground floor kitchen in the property when she discovered the fire. 

She alerted her son and the pair were stood outside the post office - which was filled with smoke - when fire crews arrived just after 4pm yesterday. 

Three fire engines from Banbury and Deddington fire stations tackled the blaze and medical care was given to the pair as a precaution.

There was no battery in the smoke alarm inside the post office and incident commander John Callaway said it was "sheer chance" the pair got out when they did. 

He said: "“I cannot express how lucky the residents were.

"There was a smoke alarm in the property but the battery had been removed.

"By sheer chance, the Postmaster’s mother, who had been upstairs at the time, just happened to go down to the ground floor kitchen where she discovered the fire. 

"Fortunately she was still able to leave the building and alert her son, who initially did the right thing by calling us out, but then like many people are tempted to do, returned to fight the fire himself. 

"We would always advocate that in the event of fire, occupants should get out, stay out and call us out."