A retired mechanic slept through his fire alarm as his home filled with smoke after he fell asleep cooking his lunch - but his dog came to the rescue.

Roy Weaver, 67, of Beehive Court, Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation after the burning pan filled his home with fumes on Tuesday, but things could have been worse if not for lakeland terrier Bill, 14.

Roy told the Recorder: “I’d been to see a friend over the road and I came back and I thought I’d have a couple of kippers.

“I put them on and I fell asleep on the sofa.

“The next think I knew my dog was barking, I woke up and the room was full of smoke.

“All the alarms were going off but I never heard them, I had a bad night’s sleep the day before.

“I stood up and when I inhaled the smoke I fell back down.”

The noxious fumes knocked Roy out for a few moments but Bill didn’t stop her barking.

“The next thing I remember is I picked up my dog, got to the door and the firemen were rushing up the stairs,” Roy said.

The firefighters from Harold Hill fire station found Roy clutching his hero dog and slumped in the hallway of the sheltered accommodation.

A firefighter said: “Two crew members turned the cooker off and took the burnt pan off the heat and gave him oxygen.”

The London Ambulance Service then took Roy to Queen’s Hospital, Romford, despite him protesting.

But, fortunately the firefighters were “wonderful” and looked after Bill while Roy got checked over.

Bill, who has lived with Roy for 12 years, didn’t need any treatment and has been given extra treats for her efforts.

“She’s a bit lethargic, I think it took it out of her,” Roy said.

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