St Albans firefighters will be treated to a free pub lunch after coming to the rescue when a chimney fire broke out yesterday.

A fire crew from St Albans was called shortly before 5.15pm - during the England V Wales rugby match- to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in Abbey Mill Lane.

Manager Martin Robinson said: “All of a sudden the chef ran in and said there were flames coming out of the top of the chimney.”

Staff threw a couple of buckets of water over the fire and firefighters arrived swiftly.

Mr Robinson said: “There was no damage so we were very lucky.

“The staff here were on hand immediately.

“The firefighters were here in under five minutes. They lovely, charming. We’re treating them all to dinner.

“It should be quite fun.”

Firefighters had dealt with the blaze within about an hour. The pub is open for business as usual today.

*The St Albans crew was called out again shortly after 6.40pm to a domestic address in St Albans.

They received reports of a freezer possibly leaking refrigerant at a home in Sanders Place.

On arrival they found this to be a ‘false alarm with good intent’.