CUSTOMERS and staff were forced to evacuate a bank in Bewdley after a cigarette set fire to a doorframe.

Firefighters went to Barclays, Load Street, on Tuesday morning to find a 3cm strip of door frame smouldering and the alarms sounding.

The fire took about 30 seconds to extinguish before banking was allowed to resume.

Firefighters said it was likely a cigarette caused the fire.

Sub officer Jim Richards said: "It must be one of the quickest jobs we've ever done."

A Barclays spokeswoman said business was interrupted for about 10 minutes while the incident was tackled.

She said: "The fire brigade made a thorough investigation of the building before they let people back in."