AN IPSWICH family have escaped with their lives after fire gutted their living room early today.The fire at the house in Pimpernel Road took hold after Marie Mason fell asleep without properly putting out her cigarette.

AN IPSWICH family have escaped with their lives after fire gutted their living room early today.

The fire at the house in Pimpernel Road took hold after Marie Mason fell asleep without properly putting out her cigarette.

A smoke alarm woke Mrs Mason alerting her to the fire so the family could get out safely.

But Mrs Mason and husband Robert have also aired concerns about the supposedly fire retardent sofa they bought from a door to door salesman.

The pair claim the sofa went up in flames "in seconds" and fear the seat, which came with all the national safety standard stickers, was to blame for the speed at which the flames spread.

No one was seriously hurt in the fire but Mr and Mrs Mason and their 19-year-old son Robert were taken to Ipswich Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

Mr Mason, 45, discharged himself a few hours later.

He said: "We are devastated. It's like when you crash your first car and are too scared to get back in it again.

"The sofa no doubt played a big part in the fire.

"It went up in seconds and was totally gone in minutes.

"I want to stress to everyone they should never buy a sofa from someone like we did – it's just not worth it."

The Masons bought two two-seater and one three-seater leather sofas for £400 last year.

Although the worst of the 3.30am blaze was contained to the living room smoke also ruined parts of the kitchen, which the family were in the middle of decorating.

Family photos and important letters were lost as well as a wide-screen television that was less than a week old.

Mr Mason, said: "It's a total nightmare but we are just so grateful we are all okay.

"The first thing I knew about it my wife was running up the stairs in a panic saying she'd caught the house on fire and the fire alarm was going.

"That alarm certainly saved all our lives – I'll never swear at it when it goes off again."

n. Has a smoke alarm saved your life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.