A GROUP of quick-thinking bobbies today spoke of the moment they risked their lives to rescue a pensioner from a raging house fire and said: "We were just doing our job."

PCs Jacqui Caton, John Woods, Graham Phillips, Martin Legdon, Martin Ward and Michelle McNulty battled through smoke and flames to pull Annie Mclaughlin free from the house moments before it was engulfed in fire.

The officers found Annie slumped unconscious in the kitchen of the Todmorden Road house after two plain clothes officers spotted smoke and flames coming from the property while on patrol just after 3am yesterday.

The brave bobbies pulled Annie to safety and she was taken to Burnley General Hospital suffering from slight burns and smoke inhalation while fire crews tackled the fire which quickly spread through the house.

Around 20 neighbours from the row of 100-year-old terrace houses were evacuated by police and spent the night with family and friends or at the nearby St Stephen's Church, Oxford Road.

PC Jacqui Caton, 42, who has been on the force for three years, described the moment she arrived at the scene.

She said: "We got a call saying that two of the plain clothes officers had seen smoke and flames at the house and when we arrived it was well ablaze. We knew we wouldn't be able to get in through the front door because of the force of the fire and the windows were smashing due to the heat.

"We went through next door to the back of the house and shouted to see if anyone was there. We heard a faint reply and so we broke down the door to get in. I don't really think we were being heroes, we were just doing our job. In a situation like that you don't have time to think about what you are doing you just act on instinct.

"We knew there was someone in the house and we just had to get them out." Inspector Richard Robertshaw, of Burnley police, said: "The quick-thinking and professional actions of these officers prevented what could easily have turned into a tragic situation.

"They reacted very quickly and acted very bravely to rescue Mrs Mclaughlin.

"All the officers who attended the incident and helped evacuate neighbours provided an excellent response."

Fire crews from Burnley and Padiham battled through the night to deal with the fire which was well alight when firefighters arrived.

Burnley Station Officer Steve Cope said they were delayed getting to the blaze because they were dealing with a car fire when the call came through.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated.