Former firefighter rescues TV blaze man

Barrie Penfold, 64, of Paddock Close, saw black smoke rising from a window at Honies Court, London Road, as he was driving past at midday.

"There was all this thick smoke coming out and I just put on the brakes and went up."

Fifteen years as a retained firefighter gave him the experience needed to stay calm in the crucial minutes that followed.

He was told somebody was inside the flat so he entered and found an elderly man in a state of shock and refusing to leave.

Barrie had to go out for air twice but re-entered to persuade the man to leave the smoke-filled room.

He stopped him from making the dangerous mistake of pouring water on the blazing television and forced him to leave the flat.

"He didn't want to come out of the flat one little bit! He was in shock. I had to keep going out for air and I told him 'For goodness sake, get out or we will both be on the floor in a minute!'" said Barrie.

Residents at the flats had been using Rother Lifeline panic alarms for help and police arrived just after Mr Willis had been brought outside.

Barrie's wife, Marian, dialled 999.

It took 15 minutes for Royal Navy fire crews to arrive in Green Goddesses - the flats just a one minute's drive from striking firefighters at Bexhill Fire Station.

But Barrie was modest about his part in the event: "I was just there and I did what needed to be done. You don't really think about it, you just do these things instinctively."