FOUND: Heroes who saved historic Our Lady's Row from fire

The Good Samaritans tackled a fire in a doorway of the Happy Valley Chinese restaurant in Our Lady's Row, Goodramgate, which dates back to 1316, in the early in the hours of Tuesday morning.

Yorkshire shopfitters Andy Wright, 50, and Tony Everett, 30, were working overnight at a building just metres from the scene of the blaze when they heard a passer-by shout "fire".

Andy Wright, left, and Tony Everett who saved Our Lady's Row from fire

Andy, told The Press: "If we had been a minute longer the building would be gone. It was so dry and very solid - and just by looking at how quickly the door went up, the whole place would be gone."

He said when they saw the flames among rubbish bags by one of the restaurant doors they sprung into action.

The men had their works van next to the building they were fitting out - the new YO1 Radio shop in Goodramgate.

READ MORE: Pictures - Mystery heroes save York's oldest row of shops from 'disaster'

Andy said: "We were working at the new YO1 Radio station shop. Tony had gone to the van and heard someone shouting 'fire'.

"We went to have a look and I thought: 'struth, this is going to be serious'."

Andy and Tony putting out the fire in Goodramgate in Our Lady's Row

Luckily, the radio shop had running water, and the men had access to buckets.

"We had a works bucket and a giant plasterer's gorilla tub," said Andy.

"We grabbed buckets of water and threw them at the fire.

"Then as Terry went backwards and forwards throwing water at the fire, I started kicking the burning rubbish away from the building." Their heroic actions were caught on CCTV - and readers can watch their bravery in the video footage we are sharing today.

The pair - dressed in shorts - run towards the flames, and douse them in water - with no thought for their own safety.

Then we see Andy bravely kicking out the burning rubbish into the street in an attempt to save the building.

But Andy doesn't think they were brave. He said: "We were not brave - we had to tackle it. It was a duty."

Andy says the pair managed to extinguish the fire and there were just embers left by the time fire crews arrived to douse down the building.

He added the only reason they were working at night was because that was the only time they could park their van next to the building they were shopfitting.

Junyue Tan, manager of Happy Valley restaurant, praised the two men. He told The Press: "They are real heroes - they have saved one of York's oldest buildings."

Junyue Tan - manager of Happy Valley by the fire damaged door outside his restaurant

Junyue estimates the repair bill will be thousands of pounds - but knows it could have been a lot worse.

Alex Hall, owner of the neighbouring shop, The Little Yorkshire Candle Company (LYCC), posted a tearful video on Instagram following the fire.

Both she and Junyue said the fire had been the latest set back after a difficult 18 months for the businesses.

Despite the blaze, both business have been able to remain open.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said a 34-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident. He was charged with two counts of arson and three counts of arson with intent to endanger life and was remanded in custody. He appeared before York Magistrates' Court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody and is due to appear at York Crown Court on September 13.