A heroic mother and daughter have told how they rescued a neighbour after a fire swept through his Hampstead Garden Suburb home.

Valerie Landenberg, and her daughter Lana, 20, were driving back to their house in Norrice Lea last Tuesday (June, 19) night when they saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the next door house.

The quick-thinking duo leapt out of the car, banged on the front door and threw a brick through the window until their neighbour, Roman Davies, woke up and fled to safety.

Brave Mrs Landenberg then ran into the building dodging burning timber to check no one else was caught up in the blaze. “I thought I would double-check if anyone else was in the house,” she told the Ham&High.

“When I reached the top of the house, it was really frightening, I could hear timber crackling and I thought the roof was going to collapse so I ran like hell out of there.”

Six fire engines doused the flames and no one was injured.

Mr Davies, 50, who works in commodities, praised his neighbour’s heroic efforts.

He said: “I was very lucky she woke me. I heard a big crash at the window and came downstairs and the neighbour told me there is smoke and fire coming from upstairs.”

Playing down her heroism, Mrs Landenberg said: “You just do what everyone hopes they can do in those situations. All the neighbours came to help once they realised what was happening. This is a very communal street.”

It is thought the fire was caused by an electrical fault.