Brad Pruden and his heavily pregnant partner, Jessica Holland, lost their home in a blaze on Tuesday morning after an electronic scooter gifted to the family caught fire while charging.

Pruden, a barber, said the scooter had been charging for about 20 minutes when it began making popping sounds before suddenly starting "spitting flames".

"Everything we'd worked for over the last three or four years that we've had with that house is gone," he said.

The family escaped unharmed after Pruden got his family out safely while Holland called the fire brigade. Firefighters from Great Yarmouth arrived within minutes.

The device involved was a two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said the family had followed good practice by charging the device during the day and keeping it under observation.

Pruden urged others to be cautious when charging electronic devices.

"Unplug your phones at night because you never know. It happens so fast that even with the smallest device, your house could be gone in minutes."

The father of three, who is expecting his fourth child, said he tried to remove the scooter from the property but was unable to do so without risking serious injury.

Praising emergency responders, he said: "Honestly, I kept going around just thanking every one of them for doing their best because they are, they're amazing."

"You can't thank the emergency services enough for what they do with what little they have."

Lithium battery fires are becoming increasingly common, with rechargeable batteries used in products including e-scooters, e-bikes, vapes and mobile phones. Investigators have not yet determined the exact fault that caused the fire, which is currently being treated as accidental.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has reported the incident to Trading Standards, which will investigate the product involved. The service continues to advise people to charge devices only while awake and at home, ensure working smoke alarms are fitted on every floor, and avoid charging devices near exits such as hallways and doorways.

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