SLEEPING pensioners had to be rescued from a nursing home in the early hours of today as smoke from a blaze billowed through the building.

Six fire engines from stations across Worcestershire were called to deal with the blaze, which broke out at 5am in a kitchen at St Cloud Nursing Home, Callow End.

Crews from Worcester, Upton-upon-Severn, Droitwich and Pershore made their way through knee-deep smoke to locate the 28 residents in the two-storey building.

Staff member Jane Dean, who had been on duty during the night, put on breathing apparatus to lead firefighters through the smoke to find pensioners trapped on the first floor.

Teams from Worcester's retained crew and Green Watch were among those who lifted 17 startled residents from their beds and carried them to safety.

By 5.45am, the evacuation was complete. None of the staff or residents, who were quickly wrapped in blankets and given cups of tea, needed hospital treatment.

The fire brigade chaplain, the Rev Alan Whitehouse, was called out to reassure the pensioners, who were "extremely shaken" by the incident.

Alec Mackie, fire brigade spokesman, said the blaze started in a dishwasher.

"We were called out originally to a small kitchen fire, which was caused by an electrical fault in a dishwasher," he said.

"It gave off extremely heavy and thick smoke, which in some parts was knee-deep.

"We had to get the residents out extremely quickly because they would have choked on the fumes."

Fire crews, who installed massive ventilation fans in a bid to disperse the smoke, were still on the scene as the Evening News went to press.

Management at the nursing home said they were busy clearing up and declined to comment.