A SMOKE alarm saved a drunken man from a burning pizza in Winchester early today.

Firefighters forced their way into a smoke-logged home in Winnall Manor Road at about 5am after neighbours were alerted by the alarm.

Inside they found a man asleep on the sofa after returning home and placing a pizza in the oven.

Had the alarm not activated, he could have quickly been killed by the smoke.

A fire service spokesman said today: “We had to make a forcible entry and wake him up. He was the worse for wear.”