Tortoise rescued after starting fire in south London flat

An inadvertent nomination from a reader sees the Independent win our Headline of the Day Award:

Pictures from the aftermath of the scene show crew members smiling and posing with the pets, with the flat understood to be only lightly damaged by the fire.

A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said: “A mischievous tortoise and his canine friend were rescued last week from a fire on London Road in Mitcham.”

“The fire was caused by the naughty tortoise knocking over his heat lamp which fell onto the hay, a combustible material, in his aquarium.”