A brave nine-year-old girl was taken to hospital after raising the alarm when she discovered a fire in her home.

Sandy Young was in her bedroom with sister Samantha, 11, when she smelled burning.

As she came out of her room at Barbel Road, Roach Vale, Colchester, at about 2.15pm on Thursday she saw smoke pouring out of the boiler in the airing cupboard.

The plucky youngster ran to tell her brother Jason, 16.

He turned off the gas and electrics and got his sisters out of the house then rescued the family cat, Tigger. Their mother, Stephanie Young, was shopping in town when Jason rang and said the house was on fire.

She said: "I'm very proud of my daughters. It could have been a lot worse if it had not been for them. And I'm proud of my son for getting the girls out of the house and using his initiative."

Mrs Young said: "The fire brigade were superb. They were there just after we put the phone down."

While the brigade tackled the fire, Sandy, who had been off school ill, turned pale and fainted.

Firefighters gave Sandy oxygen before paramedics took her to Colchester General Hospital. She was allowed home later that evening.

Mrs Young said: "Thank God she is okay. The house is a bit of a mess but everybody is unhurt and that's the main thing."

Sub officer Jason Whitnell said: "It had gone up into the loft. Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and aided with a thermal imaging camera located the fire and put it out using a hosereel jet.

"There was slight smoke damage to the upper floor of the house and a bit of damage round the boiler."

After the drama - Jason with sisters Samantha and Sandy.

Picture: STEVE BRADING

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