THINGS got a little too hot in the kitchen at Mars' Slough factory today, as firefighters were needed to put out a fire in one of the company's crumb ovens.

Three pumping appliances from Slough and Windsor were called to the Slough Trading Estate to tackle the fire in the oven, used to melt down cocoa beans for Mars' famous chocolate bars, at the Dundee Road building from about 1pm.

Watch manager Steve Hogg, from Slough firestation, said the crews toiled arduously to bring the fire in the 25-metre by five-metre oven under control.

He said: "They worked alongside Mars personnel, who assisted greatly in bringing down the heat of the oven so we could commit crews to extinguish the fire." Mr Hogg said firefighters were on the scene for about three-and-a-half hours.