A VIGILANT neighbour became a lifesaver when she rescued an elderly woman from a blaze at her Winchester home on Tuesday evening.

Janette Elkins, 56, spotted the fire on the first floor of 82-year-old Molly Richardson's home at Taplings Road, Weeke, when she did her nightly check out of her bedroom window at about 10.15pm.

That was when she saw the flames and raced to Mrs Richardson's aid. Luckily, she said, she had a spare key for the pensioner's home.

Mrs Elkins said: "By the time she got down the stairs she was a bit smoky and disorientated.

"I helped her out, she was downstairs sat on the step."

She helped Mrs Richardson into her home next door before returning to the blazing house to try to limit the damage, but the first floor was completely destroyed.

"I shut the doors downstairs but I couldn't get upstairs because the smoke was so bad," said Mrs Elkins.

While Mrs Elkins went to her neighbour's aid, her husband, Dennis, 58, called the emergency services.

Three fire appliances attended the blaze and spent three hours at the scene. Crew manager, Paul Derrick, said that a faulty electric blanket was to blame.

Mrs Elkins said it was lucky that she saw the fire and was able to help.

"I don't think she would have made it otherwise. The fire alarm wasn't going off and obviously she had not had her blanket checked for a while.

"But it does highlight the problems of elderly people living on their own -- luckily I had a key."

Mrs Richardson was taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital and treated overnight for smoke inhalation.

She left hospital yesterday (Wednesday) and is currently staying with her daughter, Ross Marsh, in Hyde.

Mrs Marsh said her mother was "shaken up" but otherwise fine.

"The neighbours have been fantastic and the fire brigade were wonderful," she said.

Mr Derrick said that people of Mrs Richardson's age were in the group that Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service had identified as being at particularly high risk.

"The neighbours saved her life. Had they not gone in and helped her out she wouldn't have come out," he said.

The service is currently carrying out free home fire safety checks.

They are conducted by a trained firefighter who can help residents identify fire hazards, provide safety tips, assist with planning an escape route and fit smoke alarms free of charge for those that need them.

To book one, visit www.hantsfire.gov.uk or contact the community fire safety department on 023 8062 6809.