Hero Alex, 18, used his hands to pat man down who was on fire

Brave Seaham teenager Alex Nicholson put his own safety to one side to leap to the aid of a man whose garage became engulfed in flames, causing his jumper and trousers to catch fire.

- by Neil Fatkin

Alex, who works at LGM Tyres in Seaham Grange Industrial Estate, was fitting new tyres to a customer's car when he noticed flames coming from the motorbike garage across the road.

Alex, 18, said: "I saw flames coming from the motorbike garage and so I ran across. The owner was desperately trying to get the bikes out of the garage and he shouted for me to get a fire extinguisher.

"I ran back to our garage, jumped across some tyres and grabbed the fire extinguisher."