A pensioner has been hailed a hero after she risked her life to rescue her 78-year-old neighbour from her burning bedroom.

Brenda Grenfell, 64, rushed to the aid of Alzheimer sufferer May Keesham after she fell asleep at her Shoebury sheltered flat with a lit cigarette.

Without any thought for her own safety, Miss Grenfell braved smoke and flames to pull her unconscious neighbour out of her Centurion Close home before calling the fire brigade.

Miss Grenfell said she was on her way to walk her dog when she smelt smoke coming from Mrs Keesham's flat.

She said: "At first I thought it was where they had been felling trees nearby, but when I came back I saw smoke was coming from her door.

"She had been asleep and the bed was on fire."

Miss Grenfell and Mrs Keesham have been good friends since they moved to Centurion Close a number of years ago.

Miss Grenfell added: "I felt quite upset for her because she obviously didn't realise what danger she was in.

"It all happened so quickly, it was just lucky that I had been walking the dog and smelt the smoke."

Firefighters from Shoebury and Southend attended the blaze on Monday afternoon and donned breathing apparatus to put out the fire.

Sub officer Rod McLeod hailed Miss Grenfell a hero and said her actions had almost certainly saved her friend.

He said: "The actions of Mrs Grenfell were remarkable for her age. She did exactly the right thing, even shutting the bedroom door to stop the fire spreading."

Both Miss Grenfell and Mrs Keesham were taken to Southend Hospital suffering the effects of smoke inhalation, and Miss Grenfell was released shortly afterwards.

Lifesaver - Brenda Grenfell dragged her neighbour from her blazing bedroom

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