SOUTHAMPTON: Father runs into blazing house to rescue son

A heroic father-of-seven from Southampton ran into a burning house to rescue his ten-year-old son from the bedroom.

Bryan Johnson rescued son Chayne from the blaze, which ripped through their terraced house yesterday morning.

Daughter Bobby-Leigh was woken by the smell of smoke and went to get her mum and dad who had been alerted by smoke alarms.

Bryan, 40 and wife Leigh ushered their children out of the house - but it was only once they were outside they realised Chayne was missing.

Speaking about her husband's bravery, Leigh, 34, said: "He was a proper hero. He got us all out and was counting us up when we realised Chayne was still upstairs. So he went back in and got him out and now his hair is singed."

The family were miraculously uninjured in the fire, which broke out at their home in Sholing, just after 9am yesterday.

Fire crews attended and put out the blaze, which had destroyed rooms upstairs and downstairs.

A devastated Leigh told how the family had no home insurance and had been left with no clothes and few possessions after the blaze.

They were given clothes and support by the British Red Cross' fire and emergency support team who attended the blaze.

"We are going to go on a family holiday to Butlins this Friday - even though we have hardly any clothes, we will manage," Leigh said. "We had just bought a huge sofa to fit all nine of us on it and were going to get a new TV, but now it's all gone."

The family were sheltered by neighbours as firefighters inspected the scene after putting out the blaze.

Council officials arranged a house in a nearby road for the family to use temporarily until their own home is repaired.

A nearby resident has donated furniture to replace their lost possessions.

An investigation was launched into the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started next to a radiator. Just months ago, the Johnson family had a fire and safety inspection courtesy of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service in which their smoke alarms were installed.

A firefighter at the scene said: "This shows the effectiveness of smoke alarms, thankfully the family got out of the house quickly and no-one was injured."