A mother today praised three men who climbed on to the roof of her blazing home fearing two of her three sons were trapped inside.

The two boys, aged ten and 11, were playing in a park when fire broke out at their home in Broadway, Didcot.

But when a neighbour saw a curtain move in an upstairs bedroom of the cottage, Total Employment Agency managing director Charlie Paine, branch manager Dave Goddard and minibus driver Michael Bedford leapt into action.

They were eventually forced back by the intense heat, but then fire crews arrived and used a thermal imaging camera to make sure no-one was inside.

Traffic through part of the town centre was brought to a standstill by the drama yesterday.

Roberta Thompson had fled from the cottage with her son Lewis, five, after he ran into the kitchen to tell her there was a fire. She knew her older sons had gone to the park but it was feared they might have returned. Mr Paine said: "The heat and smoke were so bad, it looked as though the window was going to blow any moment. We could not walk for long on the burning hot tiles."

Mrs Thompson described the efforts of Mr Paine and his staff as "brilliant".

Fire officers are investigating the blaze.

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