Girl of four saves man from fire in his flat

A girl of four saved the life of a sleeping neighbour by raising the alert after a blaze broke out in his flat.

Leah Merritt was woken by a smoke alarm in the apartment above her family’s.

She knew exactly what to do after a talk on fire safety two weeks ago at her nursery school.



Leah said: “I heard a beeping noise and ran and told my mummy.”

Mum Sam Broom, 25, and dad Barry Merritt, 31, at first thought the noise was a false alarm. Technician Barry said: “I couldn’t raise anyone upstairs so dialled 999.”

Firemen broke in to the flat in Brentwood, Essex, and rescued a 49-year-old man suffering smoke inhalation. A spokesman said: “If it hadn’t been for Leah he could have died.”