A grandmother caught in a house fire with her three month old grandson paid tribute to the hero neighbour who put out the blaze.

Angela Gibbs, 60, was baby sitting for her daughter and son-in-law at their home in De Beauvoir Road last Wednesday when the dinner she was cooking caught fire.

The flames spread quickly and the terrified grandmother grabbed baby Ryker and escaped – she was sure the De Beauvoir house would be razed to the ground, until a good samaritan neighbour rushed into the burning building.

She said: “I was helping my daughter Emma and her husband James while they went for a drink in the pub.

“I was cooking dinner, but the baby monitor wasn’t working so I went upstairs to check on Ryker.

“Then I heard this explosion – I came running downstairs to see the pan of oil was on fire.

“I tried to put it out but it spread up the curtains and onto the ceiling.

“The whole thing happened so quickly – it was really, really scary. I grabbed the baby and ran out.”

As she stood in the street wondering what she would say to her daughter a neighbour, known only as David, came to the rescue.

Mrs Gibbs said: “He came along, took his jacket off and put it round the baby, who was only in his night clothes.

“Then he just ran into the house without a thought for his own safety.

“He was in there about half an hour and put the fire out.

“It was wonderful, he really saved the day – not just my daughters house but the neighbours’ as well.

“The fire could have done tremendous damage, we are so grateful.”

Mrs Gibbs and Ryker had to go to hospital to check for smoke inhalation, but were given the all-clear.

Now her daughter and son-in-law are staying with her in Hampstead while their home is repaired.

Mrs Gibbs said: “It could have been so much worse.

“Kingsland Fire Station has been closed so the engines had to come from further away.

“It shows my daughter has so many good neighbours. One even went to get my daughter from the pub.

“Where I grew up in Lancaster, neighbours always looked out for each other, but you feel we’ve lost that.

“Things like this put your faith back in people.”

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed they were called at about 7pm, sent one fire engine from Islington, and closed the incident by 7.20pm.