THE actions of three men who braved a blazing Tavistock flat to rescue a man have been commended by police.

Andrew Honey, 23, lives in a second floor flat on West Street. Late last Tuesday evening he and his girlfriend Gemma Smaile smelt smoke and investigating found it pouring out of the flat underneath.

PC Alastair Fry, who was first on the scene, said: 'Andrew joined up with two of his mates from Bar Lush over the road — Seb Roberts, a barman there, and John Hooker, who was in the bar as well. The three of them went back in, broke down the door and dragged the man off the premises,' he said.

'They deserve praise for what they did. It was a brave move going into a burning flat — and it was well ablaze inside — they could well have saved his life.'

Seb, 19, said: 'Andy came running in telling me to call the fire brigade, then I went back out with him. The windows on the first floor were blackening and there was a deep orange glow behind them.

'Andy said there was a bloke in there — he was in there kicking at the door. After a few blows it flew open and he was completely engulfed in smoke. We told him to get out of there and me and John ran into the flat and saw this guy. We grabbed him and dragged him out.

'It was pretty much the scariest thing of my life, but you act on instinct.

'It makes you realise how precious life is — I think I'm going to quit smoking soon.'

'I was pretty scared with all the thick black smoke, but you just don't think about it at the time, you just know you've got to get him out.'