Brave Katrina Woods and her partner Kenny Forbes forced open the door of the ground-floor flat in Gourock and pulled the 37-year-old to safety after a candle by his bedside caught fire.

Together with her partner she managed to get him out of his temporary home in Sharp Street.

In a courageous rescue, she then battled her way back through the thick smoke to douse the flames and stop his electric rotating medical bed from also catching fire.

As the fire took hold, the couple also banged on the doors of all the other neighbours in the close to alert them to the danger.

Her quick-thinking actions were branded ‘heroic’ by firefighters.

Pharmacy assistant Katrina, 56, who was staying at her partner house in Sharp Street when the fire started in the middle of the night, said: “I was sleeping when Kenny, who works as a taxi driver, came in from his shift about 3.30am.

“He said he could smell burning and I immediately knew something was wrong.

“When I realised what was happening, I jumped out of bed and ran to the man’s flat.

“I knew he was disabled and that both his legs have been amputated, so he stood no chance of getting himself out.

“We managed to get in. He was just stuck there and wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“I pulled him away and Kenny managed to get him out the door. There was a candle on fire under the bed. But then I did what you are told never to do — I went back in.

“I suppose I wasn’t thinking; I was just doing what I thought was the right thing. It was adrenaline.

“I knew that his bed was electric so that it could turn him at night. If that had caught fire it could have been so much worse.

“After I was back in the flat, I started getting pots and pans to throw water over the flames before they could spread.” As Katrina tackled the fire, Kenny had started to knock on the doors of all the other residents in the close to wake them up.

Kind-hearted Katrina has looked out for the man, who is confined to a wheelchair, since he moved into the street.

She added: “He lives in terrible conditions. There is a tree growing in his window.

“It is not suitable for someone in a wheelchair and I just check in on him to make sure he is okay.

“I had actually gone round that morning. He needs the help.” Firefighters and the ambulance service both attended the fire at 3.30am on Sunday morning.

A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “It was an heroic act because there was a lot of smoke in the flat.” The 37-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation but declined to go to hospital for further treatment.

In light of the fire, anyone wishing a home safely visit should contact their local fire station.