Postman Mohammed Akram Ali didn't think twice when he spotted a woman running along an Oxford street with her clothes blazing.

With the help of two other men, he smothered the flames, saving her life, then ran into the woman's smoke-filled house in Wellington Street to beat out the blaze.

Mr Ali — known as Ali Junior as his father was also a postman — got in touch after his bravery was highlighted in our 30 years ago section (Memory Lane, September 15).

The incident happened in 1978 when he was on his round in Jericho.

An electric fire in the house had set fire to the woman's clothes and she ran into the street to get help.

Mr Ali, then 25, was well qualified — he was trained in first aid and was a member of the Post Office's first aid team, which took part in regional competitions.

His bravery was later recognised when Oxford's headpostmaster, Bill Harding, presented him with a certificate from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.

And that wasn't the only time that he received praise — three years later, he raised the alarm on his early morning round when he found a shop door had been left open all night.

Lancelyn Lighting, in Walton Street, was lucky not to have been looted.

Mr Ali said at the time: "Everything seems to happen to me. I couldn't believe it when I went to post the letters in the door and found it was open. There was thousands and thousands of pounds worth of equipment about.

"I ran over to the newsagent's and phoned the police. It appears the door was open all night."

Mr Ali was thanked by shop keyholder Steve Cooney — and praised by his boss, who said: "He is very dedicated to his customers in Jericho."