A horse died and man was taken to hospital after a fire at a stables in North Yorkshire.

Firefighters were called to the property in Long Hedge Lane, Carlton, near Selby at about 7.05pm yesterday.

The stables were severely damaged and one horse was rescued, but another died.

A 55-year-old man, believed to be the owner of the stables, was taken to hospi-tal suffering from smoke inhalation after he tried to save the horses.

The fire also spread to a nearby aviary but the 30 or so exotic birds inside were unaffected.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was caused by an electrical fault on a light.

Updated: 10:05 Wednesday, February 14, 2001