A HERO who smashed his way into a burning house to rescue his elderly neighbour has been nominated for a bravery award.

Steven Hughes, 34, of Bad Bargain Lane, York, pulled his neighbour, Ted Striker, from his burning house in the early hours of February 23 this year.

Mr Hughes had been woken up by his neighbour's smoke alarm at 2.30am, and smelled smoke coming through the wall.

He went round to Mr Striker's house and called up to him. When the elderly man did not come to the door, Mr Hughes kicked the door in, and ran up the stairs, which were filled with acrid smoke.

He found Mr Striker lying on the floor in a back room, and dragged him downstairs to safety outside, while the fire raged in the front bedroom.

York Fire Station officer Jane Proud said temperatures on the upper floor ceiling would have been between 300 and 500 degrees centigrade.

The fire, which was believed to have been caused by a smoking pipe, caused extensive damage to the upper floor of the house, and left the bedroom a charred wreck.

Mr Striker, who was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after the fire, is believed to have moved to other accommodation.

Station Officer Proud said Mr Hughes's actions were among the bravest she had seen in her career.

She said: "He did a very brave thing - it was amazing. Fire is particularly dangerous - people can very rarely get close enough to it to do anything good.

"This gentleman was exceedingly lucky, as well as exceedingly brave.

"He (Mr Striker) was very lucky he was living next to this gentleman."

Mr Hughes, a civil servant who has only recently moved to York, said he was "honoured" to have been nominated for the award.

He said: "I am very pleased - it's an honour."

But he added: "I just think anybody would do the same if they knew someone was in the house."

The bravery nomination will be decided by Eric Clarke, North Yorkshire Fire Service's Chief Fire Officer.

Updated: 08:44 Monday, April 05, 2004