Grandad aubrey Godfrey told how he and his pet dog fought their way through a wall of flames - before calmly popping down to Sainsbury's to do his weekly shopping.

The 75-year-old former marine spotted smoke coming from the airing cupboard of his home in Blackbird Leys, yesterday.

He dialled 999 and was about to battle his way through smoke and flames when he realised he had forgotten his five-year-old collie cross Toby, asleep in a bedroom.

"I went back for Toby and shouted at him to follow me and he was as good as gold," said the widower and father of five last night. "The smoke was billowing everywhere and the flames were licking right up into the attic but I managed to get through and Toby stuck close by me and followed me out of the house. "Everything happened so quickly. I saw smoke and phoned the fire brigade and by the time I got off the phone, there were flames everywhere. Fortunately, Toby is none the worse for the ordeal and neither am I."

Mr Godfrey has now been forced to stay with friends following the blaze at his home in Cuddesdon Way.

Sub-officer Keith Fowler, of the Slade Fire Station, said the pensioner and his dog were lucky not to have been more seriously hurt.

He added: "It was a very rapid fire spread. He put the phone down and was confronted with a wall of fire. He managed to get through it. I'm amazed he got out.

"He's a tough old bird. I cannot believe he did it."

By the time the fire service arrived, smoke was billowing from Mr Godfrey's house and two neighbouring homes.

Mr Godfrey's son, Ian, who shares the house with his partner Janet Fraser, and his dad, said: "My dad seemed okay. Somebody said when he first saw the fire he was very shaken up."

The blaze left severe damage to the upstairs of the house and fire crews remained at the scene for more than four hours.

Mr Godfrey is a regular visitor to the British Legion in Littlemore, and his ordeal didn't put him off going last night - with Toby at his side.

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