John Hunt, known to his friends as Frank, from Whittle-le-Woods, successfully alerted and rescued people from a horrific blaze in a bungalow on Blackburn Road at last September.

He was presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society certificate and said: "I'd like to think I'd do the same again, and that someone would help me if my house was on fire."

Mr Hunt might not have been a lifesaver at all if he hadn't had ear ache.

He revealed that he had been awake taking his medicine for an ear infection when he heard the sound of breaking glass at 3am on Sunday, September 30, 2007.

The father of two, looked out of the window and saw his neighbours house on fire.

He woke his wife, Sue, who rang the fire brigade while Mr Hunt ran up the road.

He said: "It didn't look like anyone was in, but when I ran round the back the conservatory was engulfed and I started banging on the window shouting 'fire'.

"One lad, Joe, got out and said his brother Phil, and two friends Stuart and Cheryl were still inside.

"I smashed a window and shouted for anyone inside to make their way to me. After 30 seconds or a minute a young girl struggled towards me and I helped her out through the window.

"I smashed another window and heard movement, but by then I realised we couldn't get inside."

Courageous Mr Hunt praised the firefighters who arrived seconds later and braved a crumbling ceiling to drag the two remaining unconscious casualties to safety.

After several weeks in hospital, the foursome were all able to visit Frank to thank him for his actions, a meeting he described as 'emotional'.

The dad to Lewis, seven, and Holly, six, added: "The fire brigade did an amazing job, without them the two lads would have died.

"I was very proud to get the award, especially having my wife there."

Mrs Hunt added: "I could hear people shouting and I was looking after the children and telling him not to go inside."

Mr Hunt was presented with his accolade by the Mayor and Mayoress of Chorley Coun Terry Brown and hiw wife Julie, joined by the Chief Superintendent of Lancashire Constabulary, Irene Curtis.

Experienced crew manager Tony Murray said at the time: "Another five minutes and we wouldn't have been able to get them out, we'd have been looking quite possibly at fatalities.

"I would say this was the worst house fire I've been to.

"The neighbour had been to the back of the house where the two other victims were trapped."

One resident said: "My son woke up, thinking he had heard fireworks, and by the time the rest of us had got up, the whole house was up in flames. It's a terrible, devastating fire."

Another neighbour said today: "He was very brave, but I cannot believe they got out alive."