PATIENTS and staff were evacuated from a mental health unit this afternoon when a bed caught fire.

Firefighters from Silsden and Shipley were called out to tackle the blaze, at the Airedale Centre for Mental Health.

But staff had put out the fire when crews arrived.

The alarm was raised at about 3.30pm.

No one was injured but the building, in the grounds of Airedale Hospital at Steeton, was smoke logged.

Firefighters – one wearing breathing apparatus – used a special ventilation fan to help clear the fumes.

A fire service spokesman said: "It's not clear how the fire started but staff had managed to deal with it when we got there.

"We helped clear up and ventilate the building."

A spokesman for Bradford District Care Trust, which operates the centre, said: "We can confirm there has been a small contained fire at the Airedale Centre for Mental Health today which did not harm either staff or service users and which caused minimal damage to property.

“All patients and staff were safely evacuated, following the appropriate procedures, and returned to the ward once fire alarms had been reset and the area made safe.

“An internal investigation will commence into the cause of the fire.”