Three children, including a baby, were dropped from a bedroom window into the arms of rescuers in a dramatic house blaze today.

The youngsters were thrown to safety by their parents after fire broke out at their West Bowling terrace home shortly before 9am, trapping the family upstairs.

And a fire brigade chief hailed a neighbour and a passer by as heroes for their part in the rescue.

The blaze broke out at Federation Street and was spotted by neighbour Terry Hinnells, 41, who was alerted by shouts for help.

He ran next door but was beaten back by the flames which had engulfed the front room of the house.

He was joined by Simon Lumb, 26, of Bierley and the pair shouted to the parents to throw their children from a bedroom window.

Mr Hinnells said: "It all happened so quick, there was lots of people running about. There was black smoke everywhere and the mother was hysterical. But we just kept shouting for them to throw the kids out. We managed to get them all out in a couple of minutes. They were all in a bit of a state."

A fourth child was rescued when Mr Lumb managed to get a ladder up to the window and carry the youngster to safety.

The rescuers were joined by Mrs Hayat's father, Mr Ghulam Yakaiya, a taxi driver, who was passing the house.

Taxi driver Umer Hayat, who suffers from asthma, and his wife Zubeda also escaped using the ladder and they and their children Sidrah, five, Sajid, four, Nureen, two, and Abdullah, one, were taken to hospital along with Mr Lumb suffering the effects of smoke.

A spokesman for BRI described their condition as fair and were being treated for smoke inhalation.

Mr Hinnells said: "The other lad ran in and got really stuck in, he was a hero."

Mr Yakaiya added: "I thought the children were still in the house but the police wouldn't let me inside."

Station Officer David Swales, said: "The family have been extremely lucky to have escaped and the passers-by have done extremely well.

"Their actions may have made the difference between the family surviving and not surviving."

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