Three Keighley teenagers are to be honoured for their swift action in saving an elderly woman's life in a fire at her Riddlesden home.

Patrick Parkinson, Thomas Clark and Adam Haigh rescued Audrey Biltcliffe then put out the fire in her entrance hall.

They were passing the Hospital Road house in the early hours of Wednesday morning on their way home from a pub quiz.

They heard a smoke alarm, which had failed to wake Mrs Biltcliffe, and saw smoke through the porch window.

A Keighley fireman this week praised the teenagers' actions and said he was recommending them for a Fire Brigade commendation.

Joe O'Keefe said that by the time firefighters arrived the 18-year-olds had put out the fire and were caring for the pensioner.

He said: "Without their intervention this would have been a much more serious incident. They got the lady into the fresh air and took her dog out on a lead."

Former Ermysteds School students Thomas and Patrick and Craven College student Adam had been drinking in the Willow Tree pub, Riddlesden, on Tuesday evening.

They had walked around Riddlesden afterwards and were returning up Hospital Road at about 1am on Wednesday morning.

Patrick, of Southfield Way, Riddlesden, said: "We heard the alarm and noticed through the window that it was cloudy inside. We went round the back and it was much thicker.

"We could see this old woman asleep in a chair. Tom knocked on the window and she opened the front door. She didn't know what was going on."

Thomas, of Hillside Avenue, Oakworth, found a cushion smouldering inside the back door, and after throwing it outside realised the doormat underneath was on fire.

Adam, of Carr Grove, Riddlesden, woke neighbours so they could call the fire brigade, then one gave him a kettle of water to extinguish the fire.

The boys said Mrs Biltcliffe was most concerned about her dog Scamp. Mrs Biltcliffe was taken to Airedale Hospital for a check-up but returned home later on Wednesday.

She told the Keighley News she had no idea how the fire started, adding: "I don't have any matches. The fire brigade were puzzled."

Firefighter O'Keefe said his colleagues, led by station officer Gary Leeming, remained mystified about the cause of the fire despite investigating possible reasons.

He said there were no suspicious circumstances.