Patients evacuated in hospital blaze

Patients were evacuated from a Royal Oldham Hospital ward as firemen tackled a blaze in the secure garden of the mental-health wing.

According to a patient who witnessed the fire outside Rowan Ward at Parklands House, a wheelchair, gazebo and a memorial bench were set alight by two elderly patients.

Nobody was injured but staff had to rescue one of the patients from the smoke.

Keith Walker, director of operations at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The ward was back up and running again within the hour.”