Teens honoured for rescuing Shirebrook pensioner from burning home

Five teenagers who helped rescue a pensioner from a burning home in Derbyshire have been honoured for their brave actions.

Shirebrook Academy Year 11 students Farren Walters, Archie Ashton, Josua Jope, Liam Gladwin and Brandon Butler were given official commendations by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service for displaying heroism during the incident.

The students’ selfless actions saw them help two off-duty police officers lift a bedridden pensioner to safety after he became trapped in his home when fire broke out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The boys had been walking to the train station when they spotted smoke billowing from the roof of a bungalow on Rockley Way, Shirebrook.

While they were standing outside the front door, they heard cries for help coming from the garden and they jumped over the fence. There they found a couple struggling to wheel the man, who was confined to his bed, out of the back door and so they helped to lift him out of the building and to safety.

Firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze, which had started in a tumble dryer and spread to the roof space of the building.

On Friday, crews attended the Common Lane school, alongside representatives from Derbyshire Constabulary, to present the teenagers with their commendations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mark Cottingham, principal of Shirebrook Academy, said: “We were very proud to welcome representatives from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Derbyshire Constabulary to our school.

“Farren, Archie, Josua, Liam and Brandon showed that they were not the type of people who stand back in someone else’s hour of need and they all thoroughly deserve to be recognised for their bravery and compassion.”