A HEROIC car salesman dragged a disabled pensioner from his blazing home in a dramatic rescue in Bewsey.

Wayne Stockton, aged 24, of Braemar Close, Cinnamon Brow, works as a sales executive at Hall Motors in Folly Lane. He was crossing the road to the Post Office when he heard that the house next door was on fire and that a man was trapped inside. Without thinking, he ran to the rescue of Henry Hickman, a 76-year-old wheelchair user.

"I jumped over the fence and looked through the window," said Wayne, "but all I could see was thick black smoke and the glass cracked with the heat.

"I kicked the porch and the front doors through, pulled my coat over my head and ran inside."

Wayne could not see anything due to the choking smoke but he was determined to find Henry.

"I just scrabbled around to try and find him," he said, and I bumped in to him rather than saw him.

"He was in the kitchen, banging on the walls and was very disorientated."

Wayne pulled Henry's head down below the smoke, picked him up and ran from the blazing house. The two men were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. Wayne was discharged that evening and Henry was kept in for observation. His condition is described as stable.

A fire brigade spokesman said: "It was very hot and smoky in the house and the ground floor was severely damaged by fire.

"The heat was so intense that the plaster was damaged and the double glazing had cracked.

"We sent six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus in to look for further casualties as it was feared that Mr Hickman's son may still have been inside.

"After extinguishing the fire we used the positive pressure ventilation system to clear away smoke from Mr Hickman's and a neighbouring house."

But modest Wayne doesn't see himself as a hero.

"I just did what anyone else would do," he said.

"You don't think about the danger, your mind goes blank. I'd do it again if I had to.

"The fire brigade said I was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid!"

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