By Aline Nassif

aline.nassif@essnmedia.co.uk

HEROIC neighbours came to the rescue of a young man who was on the verge of jumping from a first-floor window when his house went up in flames.

David Smith, his dad Derek and neighbour Andy Williams hoisted up a ladder to let the man down safely from his home in Norfolk Avenue, Sanderstead.

The trapped resident, known to his neighbours only as Jamie and said to be in his late 20s, was having a shave when disaster struck at 6.30pm on Saturday.

David, 30, his next-door neighbour, said: "My dad and I were in the kitchen when we saw smoke coming out the back of Jamie's home.

"We heard him screaming 'fire, fire' and rushed out to see him sitting on his bathroom window ledge, with his legs sticking out.

"He was deciding whether or not to jump to escape the fire, so my dad and I fetched a ladder from the front garage."

As they rushed to help, fellow neighbour Andy came to their aid and helped them get the man down safely.

David added: "I have to admit I was a bit shaken, but not as much as Jamie when he eventually got down.

"He explained he'd been having a shave when he opened the bathroom door and saw all the smoke.

"So he closed the door and put a towel along the floor (to stop smoke coming under the door), just like the firemen taught him when he was a kid."

Andy, 44, ran out to help after his eight-year-old son Sam drew his attention to the smoke.

He said: "I legged it down the road in my socks – Jamie was shouting 'fire, fire' out of the window.

"I rushed to where he was and tried to keep him calm while they fetched the ladder, but I was ready to catch him if he fell.

"Almost immediately after he climbed down the tiles (in the bathroom) started to pop off and the fire really started to take hold."

Croydon and Addington fire stations each sent out two fire engines to tackle the blaze.

Watch manager Tony Weeks, from Addington Fire Station, praised the neighbours for their actions, which could have saved Jamie's life.

He said: "When we arrived 25 per cent of the first floor was alight, but thankfully we managed to save 75 per cent of the floor and stop the fire from spreading into the roof and adjoining properties.

"We believe the fire started in the front bedroom, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

"The man lives with his mum but she was out at the time. We would like to thank neighbours for their actions which left him only needing treatment for a little smoke inhalation – and not for broken bones or possibly worse."