Neighbours rescue dogs

John retired as Heathfield's senior firefighter in March after 27 years. However, he showed he still remembers a thing or two about tackling blazes when elderly neighbour Gillian Picken's kennels caught fire on Friday.

The former Sub Officer rushed to the scene, at Frary Walk, Maynards Green, where he found two pedigree bearded collies cowering amongst the flames.

Quick-thinking John, aided by son Anthony, pulled the dogs from the fire before making sure three more in adjacent kennels were also safe from the spreading flames.

The blaze started at just after 6.30am in a shed next to the kennels, at Rock Harbour, Frary Walk. It had started to spread to the kennels and was threatening to engulf the whole property.

Neighbours who witnessed the fire praised the former firefighter and said his actions almost certainly saved the dogs from an horrific death.

Vic Burgess, of Frary Walk, said: 'You could see the flames above the bungalow. There was nothing left of the shed and the end of the kennel was burning. If John hadn't got there when he had I reckon those two dogs would have died.'

John said: 'We just did what had to be done and pulled the dogs out. Mrs Picken still wasn't up but I knew the place and I knew there were dogs there. They would have been frazzled if they'd stayed in there any longer.'

Minutes after the dogs' rescue, two fire engines from Heathfield arrived at the scene. Fire officers using hosereels took 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

The last officers left the scene at 8.30am. It is believed the fire may have started in a freezer in the shed. Nobody was injured during the incident.

Mrs Picken, who is in her mid-eighties, was, for a number of years, a breeder for competitions, including Crufts. One of the dogs rescued in the fire, 11-year-old Shadow, was a first-prize winner at Crufts four years ago.