A TEENAGER'S den was destroyed by fire caused by a suspected television electrical fault.

A garden shed, converted into a hideaway for a 16-year-old, was destroyed in the blaze, although firefighters managed to save fish in a nearby pond which were affected by heat from the flames.

The teenager had left a television turned on in the shed - and the fire threatened to cause further damage because a gas cylinder was stored in the shed, at Ringway, Thornaby.

The householder attempted to tackle the fire himself using a garden hose, but the flames were too fierce.

Thornaby Fire Station Officer Ian Dunning praised the householder, saying: "He did a very good job preventing the fire spreading, but it got too much for him.

"When we arrived, the flames had intensified and there was a risk of a propane cylinder going up as the heat rose, so we cooled it with one hose and put out the flames with the second.

"Radiated heat from the fire was heating the pond water so much that steam was rising from it when we got there.

"The fish were so hot they sank to the bottom looking for cooler water and could have died.

"So we filled the pond with our hoses. The owner was very pleased."