AN heroic neighbour rescued a man who fell asleep as a fire broke out in his house.

Two fire crews were called to a kitchen fire in Brooklyn Road, Dovercourt, on Tuesday afternoon. *February 12* The home did not have working smoke alarms, so it wasn't until a neighbour spotted smoke coming from a window that the alarm was raised.

The neighbour then managed to wake the man up and take him out of his house to safety.

When firefighters arrived at the house they reported the kitchen was full of smoke.

Crews managed to quickly put out the blaze and stop it spreading.

The occupant was left in the care of the ambulance service to be treated for smoke inhalation.

An Essex Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "A Dovercourt resident had a lucky escape after a fire broke out in his kitchen yesterday afternoon while he was asleep."

He said the fire was found to have started by cooking left unattended in the kitchen.

The East of England Ambulance Services has been contacted for a comment.