by Rebecca Hughes

A hero who rescued a neighbour from a smoking flat has told of his blaze ordeal.

Dean Lucas, 36, was asleep in bed in the early hours of this morning when a neighbour in the four-storey block off Gravel Walk, Rochester, raised the alarm.

Paul Hussey, 23, shouted up to him to wake him up.

But, after Dean came to and smelt smoke, he banged on a friend's door and dragged him out of his flat.

Dean said of the moment he realised there was something afoot: "Paul shouted up to me to me from his window and without that I would have just slept through.

"If he hadn't woken me up I don't think I would have ever woken up because of all the smoke.

"It wasn't until he woke me up and I turned on the light that I saw all the smoke.

"I have never been in that sort of situation before and I couldn't see anything. When the smoke hit me it just drained all my energy. It was thick black everywhere."

Then, as he opened the door he saw smoke in the hallway and banged on his friend's door.

He said: "Eventually he answered and I got him into my flat.

"When I heard the police outside I opened the door and a firefighter was there.

"He asked if I was alone and then he grabbed us and threw us down the stairs. I just couldn't see anything. There was just smoke and my eyes are still stinging, and I have a headache and I haven't been to sleep."

Dean is now staying in a hotel, with the council looking to rehouse those affected.

In total, 13 people were rescued by fire crews after the blaze broke out at the four-storey building.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus to get nine people out to safety and rescued another four from windows.

They have been treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and one man suffered a cut to his face in the fire, which broke out shortly after midnight.

Pete Harris, incident commander from Strood station, said: "The crews were superb, everyone played their part, especially the first three pumps on scene, who got stuck in and allowed us to effect early rescues.

"The situation was unfortunately complicated by residents opening their doors and letting smoke from the fire in the stairwell in to their flats. The best thing to do if your escape route is not clear, is to stay put and call for help."

• A man and a woman are being questioned by police over a suspected arson attack on a block of flats in Rochester. A man aged 38 and a 30-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life at a nearby address at about 3.50am.