Rescuers put up for award Two men who rescued sleeping residents from their burning cottages in a village near Wantage have been nominated for a national award.

Fifteen people were left temporarily homeless after flames ripped through five thatched cottages in Church Green, Stanford in the Vale, on August 21 last year.

But lives could have been lost if it had not been for the quick thinking of Sgt Eddie Young, of the Army's Royal Logistic Corps at Dalton Barracks, Abingdon, who was passing.

He woke Simon Gibbs, who lived in one of the cottages, and together they got residents out of the burning homes, including pensioners Maud Fife and George and Martha Belcher, all in their 90s.

The two men received Royal Humane Society awards earlier this year, and now they have been nominated for the Oxford Mail-backed Life Savers Awards - which honour Britain's most inspiring rescue stories.

Gerry McMorrow, chairman of Stanford in the Vale Parish Council, said: "Eddie Young and Simon Gibbs were both very brave on the night, and it's not an exaggeration to say that there could have been a real tragedy if they had not acted as they did.

"I would be delighted if they were recognised again for their efforts and our nomination is backed by the Royal Humane Society and Ed Vaizey, Conservative MP for Wantage."

In his nomination, Mr McMorrow praised Sgt Young for saving human lives and the lives of two dogs belonging to Mr Gibbs.

He added that Sgt Young went out of his way to return to the burned-out cottages in the days after the blaze, to help residents and firefighters.

Earlier this year, Sgt Young, 36, received a bronze award from the Royal Humane Society, while Mr Gibbs, 38 - who moved to his cottage home with wife, Sue, 43, just two months before the fire - received the society's Vellum Script for helping in the rescue. Sgt Young and Mr Gibbs were not available for comment.

Building work began in March to completely reconstruct the properties in Church Green, and residents hope to be able to move back in August.