MORE than 160 children had to be evacuated from a Stainland school after a pancake sparked a blaze alert.

Fire crews were rushed to the scene at Bowling Green Junior and Infant School yesterday afternoon at 2.30pm after reports of a fire.

But when they arrived they discovered kids filling their faces with pancakes outside.

Youngsters in the reception class at Bowling Green were enjoying a pancake making lesson from assistant Beryl Ramsdale.

Mrs Ramsdale, who has been at the school for more than 20 years, had run out of oil so used margarine in her pan.

But it caused so much smoke it set off smoke alarms and triggered urgent action from the fire brigade.

Watch manager Ricky Stokes, of Elland fire station, said: "It was hardly the Towering Inferno. There was just a bit of smoke from the marge.

"The kids and teachers were great - we even got to have a pancake each!"

School administrator Jayne McDermott said: "Mrs Ramsdale must have made hundreds of pancakes during her time at the school.

"She just ran out of oil and used margarine and it created smoke.

"We knew it wasn't serious but got the kids out just in case. She made the fire crews pancakes - I think they wanted to keep an eye on her technique!"