CREWS battled to put out a fire in a shop below flats in Kidlington this afternoon.

Firefighters from Kidlington and Oxford stations rushed to the scene on Oxford Road at 2.53pm and were on arrival faced with a developing fire and smoke billowing from the front of the shop.

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Wearing breathing apparatus, they went into the building and quickly brought the fire under control using hosereels.

As a precaution some flats above the shop were evacuated and once the flames were fully extinguished, smoke from all affected areas was cleared using a high-powered fan.

After looking at the footage from security cameras the cause of the blaze was found to be candles.

Incident commander watch manager Ellis Bicknell said: "This incident clearly shows the dangers of leaving candles unattended.

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"Even if they are in a suitable holder, always make sure you put them out before going out or you may come back to find the worst.”

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