The Roberts family, from Worrall Street, were woken by shouts from a family member after the fire started in a bedroom.

A smoke alarm in the house, which could have alerted them to the near-disaster, had no batteries in it.

Daniel Roberts, 23, his partner Angela Clayton, 25, and Daniel's 45-year-old-father escaped uninjured although the couple's two children, Cameron, seven, and Jordan, five, were taken to St James's Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

They were released after treatment.

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Daniel said: "I had fallen asleep watching the telly and the next thing I know my dad is coming downstairs saying his mattress is on fire."

Daniel leapt into action, going upstairs to put the mattress out and waking Angela and the children.

Angela said: "I brought the kids down because of the smoke and as I was getting them down I heard 'it's started again, ring the fire brigade!'"
Although they had managed to put the mattress out the bed base was still smouldering.

Angela pushed Cameron and Jordan out of the door, rang the fire service and took the children to safety.

She added: "The bed has burnt and there is smoke damage and damage to the carpets but the children are fine, everybody's fine."

The fire came as a shock to the family who discovered too late they had no battery in their smoke alarm.

"I know you are supposed to check them every week," said Daniel.

The couple would like to say a big thank you to the fire crews from Morley and Batley who used breathing apparatus to enter the house and a high-powered fan to clear the smoke.

Fire service investigator Glen Meacham said: "Fortunately there was a happy ending but it could have been so different.

"They were very fortunate because we could have so easily ended up with a fatality and of course proper smoke detection can prevent that.

"The incident this morning highlights the two-fold dangers of smoking in bed, which is obviously dangerous, and highlights the need for working fire alarms."

The fire service operates a freephone number that anyone can call to organised a free home fire safety check and provide working fire alarms.

To book a safety check, ring 0800 5874536 or visit the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's website www.westyorksfire.gov.uk