A MAN walking past a pub sparked a fire alert on Sunday night. The pedestrian noticed sparks coming out of the chimney at The Crown in High Street, Henlow, and called the fire service. Firefighters from Shefford and Luton went to the pub which was evacuat

A MAN walking past a pub sparked a fire alert on Sunday night.

The pedestrian noticed sparks coming out of the chimney at The Crown in High Street, Henlow, and called the fire service.

Firefighters from Shefford and Luton went to the pub which was evacuated while they doused the coal fires in the bars' grates.

"There was no fire in the chimney. A member of the public had seen sparks coming out the top of the chimney and assumed there was a fire and called the fire brigade," said Crown landlord John Swindle.

"The hot coals were cleared and the chimney inspected but there was no fire. As a precaution the pub was evacuated for 10 minutes and then it was business as usual and the three fires in the pub were alight again on Monday.