FIREFIGHTERS have praised the actions of a man who rescued his 96-year-old neighbour from his home after a fire broke out.

Albert Riddell was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after a small blaze started in the living room of his Gosport home.

His wife Louisa, 93, managed to get out of the house and raise the alarm to a neighbour who went back inside the house to rescue Mr Riddell.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue said: "We would not encourage people to take it upon themselves to rescue people from inside a house that is on fire as a rule as we could end up rescuing two people instead of one.

"But in this case it was quite a small fire and the gentleman was a real local hero to make sure Mr Riddell got out all right.

"It was a relatively small fire but there was a lot of smoke which for two elderly people is dangerous."

"He did the right thing by keeping Mr Riddle low down as he got him out so he inhaled less smoke."

Speaking from her home on Fisgard Road , Mrs Riddell also praised her neighbour, who has not been named, by saying; "He was very kind" but declined to comment further on the rescue.

Another neighbour who didn't want to be named said: "It could have been very serious as the pair are quite elderly but the fire service were here very quickly and only Mr Riddell was taken to hospital after breathing in the smoke."

It is believed the fire started when an electric fire was accidentally knocked over.