A pair of brave police officers helped to rescue two men from a house fire in South Ockendon.

PC Gemma Britton from Grays Local Policing Team and PC Martin Swain, a dog handler based in Chelmsford were double crewed together when they were alerted by colleagues from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to a house fire in a terraced house in Rosemary Close, South Ockendon.

Gemma and Martin were first on scene after arriving within five minutes of receiving the call.

The pair found the house alight and neighbours quickly informed them that they believed two residents to be inside.

Without hesitation, Gemma and Martin headed towards the house to assess how to get the occupants to safety.

Neighbours rushed to get a set of ladders and also put themselves in danger to assist in the rescue.

Using the ladders to access a porch, Gemma and Martin were able to help the occupants, two men aged 49 and 83 who had climbed out of the window, to safety.

Both men were suffering from smoke inhalation but were uninjured.

Gemma and Martin tended to them until the arrival of an ambulance.

With the occupants being treated by an ambulance crew, Gemma and Martin began evacuating the neighbouring properties of the smoke filled terraced house until the arrival of fire crews.

Gemma and Martin both want to thank the brave members of the public that put themselves in danger to help the two men down from the porch.

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