South Yorkshire firefighters are bracing themselves for a sharp rise in cooking fires, as new figures reveal a shock increase in blazes during the last big international football tournament.

Kitchen fires went up by nearly a quarter during the last world cup, with 39 kitchen fires in just one month whilst the competition was being played in South Africa two years ago.

So firefighters are urging the public not to mix cooking with alcohol and never to leave cooking unattended, on the day Euro 2012 kicks off in Poland and Ukraine.

The county's firefighters tackled more than 300 cooking related house fires last year alone, resulting in 75 injuries.

During the Diamond Jubilee weekend firefighters went to seven more kitchen fires, mostly caused by cooking being left on the hob.

East Area Manager Steve Makepeace, said: "Expectations for the England football team might be low this summer, but sadly we fully expect to see another rise is kitchen fires as millions settle down to watch the tournament and probably have a drink at the same time.

"Alcohol and cooking just don't mix. It makes you uncoordinated and more likely to have a fire, and less likely to escape if you do have one.

"So if you've been to the pub to watch the match, grab a takeaway on the way home instead. And if you just can't tear your eyes from penalty shoot out, turn the cooker off and take the pan off the hob."

The fire service  'Kitchen Nightmares' campaign aims reduce cooking related fires, which account for half of all the house fires in South Yorkshire.

To back the drive, the public are being asked to:

• Prepare-  Keep electrical leads and fabrics well away from the hob and never use a chip pan
• Watch-Keep an eye on cooking at all times and never, ever leave it unattended
• Switch-Switch off cooking appliances when you have finished cooking and before bed

For more information on the campaign, visit www.syfire.gov.uk