Patients at three child and two adult units at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford had to be moved after the blaze took hold in a nearby kitchen.

Between 25 and 35 patients were moved to a different part of the hospital. No-one was injured.

"We were under a lot of pressure because Santa was coming," fire service divisional officer Tony Prosser said.

Firefighters praised

He said the most likely cause of the fire was bin-bags falling down the back of a fridge and overheating.

Mr Prosser added the fire itself was not severe but that because of its location it had the potential to cause serious disruption.

A total of 44 firefighters, six fire engines and other emergency vehicles were sent to the scene where they spent about an hour and a half dealing with the situation.

Admissions were suspended for about 40 minutes, but only three patients from the hospital's accident and emergency department had to be diverted to other hospitals, a spokeswoman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust said.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service praised the prompt actions of the hospital staff and firefighters in bringing the situation quickly under control.