FAMILY pets were killed in a fire at a Worcestershire home while a mother took her children to school.

The blaze gutted the terraced house in Feckenham, near Redditch.

It started after a power cut while the woman was cooking bacon and eggs.

When she left the High Street house to take her children to school the power was returned. The cooker came back on and the frying pan overheated, setting fire to the kitchen.

"It's basically gutted the house," said assistant divisional officer Pete Benkwitz, who attended the scene.

"When we arrived the flames were licking through to next door. It was just a case of not thinking to turn the oven off and this is the result.

"The family were devastated. The fortunate part is that they were out at the time."

The family's cat, dog and budgie are believed to have perished in the blaze, which started around 8.20am yesterday.

Around 45 firefighters from Redditch, Droitwich and Worcester attended the scene.

A turntable ladder from Worcester and the incident support unit from Droitwich also attended.

The terraced house, built around the turn of the 20th Century, was completely destroyed.

"It was a quick and severe fire," said ADO Benkwitz.

There was also smoke and fire damage within the roof space of neighbouring properties.

Victim support workers from Redditch were called to help the family to find emergency accommodation.