FIREFIGHTERS have once again warned about the need for smoke alarms after a house in Trowbridge was badly damaged.

This time though the property was fitted with an alarm but it didn't have a battery inside.

It's easy to forget to replace batteries or to get fed up with alarms that seem to be too sensitive and go off every time you put the kettle on or burn a piece of toast.

But it is obviously much easier to wave the occasional tea towel at an alarm to stop its irritating whine than it is to cope with the aftermath of a fire.

A lesson for us all to learn.