BIG-hearted neighbours sheltered a young family after they escaped with their lives from their blazing home.

Dawn Lishman and her three children aged four, three and two fled from their home on Richmond Hill Street, Accrington, after a fire broke out on the first floor.

And while fire crews were tackling the flames pouring from the building, the youngsters were taken in and cared for by neighbours Zanvir Amin, 28, and his mum Mukhtar Amin.

Zanvir said: "My mum was going up the road to pay some bills and she saw the children on the road. They had black faces and there was black smoke coming from the house.

"She took them in and cleaned them up and got things sorted out until their dad came for them. They were pretty clever kids and very clued-up as to what was happening.

"When their mum came round she was very grateful but my mum was just trying to help out and be a good neighbour."

It is believed the fire broke out at around 9.30am last Friday.

The family were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary suffering from the effects of inhaling smoke.

It is believed the blaze may have been started by an electric heater igniting a bundle of clothes, which then spread to a nearby bed.

Watch manager Peter Fraser said: "The blaze could have been a lot worse, especially if it had happened in the middle of the night. That could have been very serious.

"They did not have fire alarms fitted so we put some in. We were there quite a while dealing with the situation."

A spokesman for the fire service said the blaze caused severe smoke and heat damage to the first floor of the house.