UNSUNG HEROES
HEROIC DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAVE TEENAGER FROM ACCRINGTON FIRE
A heroic minicab driver and his pas- senger have been praised after rescu- ing a teenager from a terrifying house fire. According to the Accrington Ob- server, the drama unfolded after a family of six discov- ered a fire at their home on Ormerod Street in Accring- ton at around 4pm on a recent Thurs- day. Cabbie Nasser Hus- sain
and
passenger Jemma Kiernan sprang into action after passing the house and spotting flames and smoke coming from a window. The rest of the fam- ily
had got
themselves out of the house and were alerting the fire brigade, but told Nasser that their 15-year-old daugh- ter, Mehmoona Rabbani, was trap- ped upstairs in a
He added: “I’m Jemma Kiernan and Nasser Hussain his
second floor attic bedroom. Dad-of-three Nass- er, who lives in Accrington with his wife and children, said: “When I went in,
I could just
about see the fire and the flames. “It was dark and smoky. Before I knew it, Jemma was behind me with a torch on her phone. “I was calling for the girl to come out of the roombut she wouldn’t, she was too scared. I said ‘if you don’t come, the fire will get us
all’. As soon as I saw her wrist in the dark I grabbed it and dragged her out. Thank God Jemma was there, too.” The cause of the fire, on Thursday, August 30, is not yet known but is under
investiga-
tion. Nasser was taking Jemma from her home on Willows Lane to an appoint- ment when they passed the fire, and will forever remem- ber
the day –
especially as it was his 39th birthday.
Taxi Insurance
RURAL PRIVATE HIRE AND FLEET INSURANCE SPECIALISTS
0800 458 9702 OR 01527 757 585
18
proud of what we did, it feels good. I’m glad we got her out.” Jemma, 28, said her decision to help was instinctive. She said: “I didn’t think, I just went in. I just did what I’d expect anyone else to do if it was my family. “We didn’t even look at each other,
and we went straight in. If it had been any longer, she would have died.” Lancashire Fire and Rescue, who ar- rived at the scene following the res- cue, heaped praise on the heroic pair, thanking them for their bravery. A spokesperson said: “Everyonewas
able to escape the house, with only the
15-year-old
going to hospital for a check over after breathing in smoke. The selfless and brave actions of Mr Hussain and Ms Kiernan pre- vented firefighters needing to rescue the young girl from the attic room and further injury.”
SEARCH FOR BLACKBURN DRIVER WHO FOLLOWED ALLEGED THIEF
A hair salon man- ager is trying to find the ‘brave’ taxi driverwho followed an alleged thief who broke into her business and led him to the police. The
Lancashire
Telegraph reports that Charlotte Cas- sidy-Garner, who runs Triangles Hair and Beauty in Pre- ston Old Road, Blackburn, said she wants to thank the taxi driver after the business was bro- ken into at around 2.20am on a recent Sunday. Police confirmed the shop was bro- ken into and a till and a Marie Curie charity box was taken, with damage caused to the front door. Mrs Cassidy-Garner said a taxi driver from Intack and
Central Private Hire had witnessed a man come out of the shop, followed him and alerted the police. The
31-year-old
said she wants to find the driver and thank him proper- ly. She said: “He put himself in a precar- ious position by following him and was brave to do so. “The police arrest- ed a man because of this taxi driver and without him the thief would have got away. “I saw him briefly but we didn’t get chance to properly thank him. I have rung the taxi com- pany butwe cannot get hold of him.” Mrs Cassidy-Garner said: “They’ve cau- sed hundreds of pounds worth of
damage just to take petty cash. “We were broken into last year as well so that is twice in eight months. “People who steal fromcharity are the lowest of the low in my opinion. “It’s horrible to think there’s some- one out
there
willing to steal from innocent people and from a needy cause. “It was hard watch- ing back the CCTV and seeing some- one inside the salon and throwing a rock to break in and take things.” A police spokes- man
said
42-year-old man from Blackburn has been charged with burglary and is due to appear at Black- burn Magistrates’ Court.
OCTOBER 2018
a
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
