FIREFIGHTERS have praised two neighbours who pulled a 52-year-old woman from her burning first floor flat.

The men, in their 30s, heard her screams after she woke to find her home filled with smoke at around 4am on Saturdayday. They kicked down the front door of the flat in Water Street, Radcliffe, and found her in the thick black smoke.

Firefighters found that the fire had been caused by clothes left too close to a heater. The woman, who has not been identified, was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and a cut to her face.

Sub officer Roy Grundy, of Whitefield fire station, described her escape as "extremely lucky".

"She has no idea what caused her to wake up, but if she had not the outcome could have been very serious indeed," he said. "The men were very brave and it was thanks to their actions that she was able to get out."

"There was no smoke detector in the house and this is yet another example of how one could save your life."