A DAD-OF-TWO saved the life of a family trapped in a burning building by using his own ladder to rescue them.

Stephen Blackman, 50, of Caneland Court in Waltham Abbey, was pasting up a billboard at Edmonton Green train station in north London when he noticed smoke coming from above a nearby shop.

He said: “I could smell smoke then I heard a woman screaming out her window.

“There was no smoke out the front windows, because the fire was round the back. Then all of a sudden it started to go up and up.

“I never thought about it – I just went over, and put my ladder up. It’s the thing you’d do. You don’t think about yourself.”

As the fire raged behind them, Mr Blackman grabbed a baby and a three-year-old boy from the first floor window and carried them to safety, before helping to usher out mum and dad.

Minutes later the fire brigade arrived to rescue another six people who were still trapped.

Mr Blackman said: “It could have been terrible. The young three-year-old was clinging to me like there was no tomorrow. He was shaking.

“It didn’t really sink in until five or ten minutes afterwards, then you realise what’s happened and how serious it is, but I was quite calm about it. I just left my phone number and details with a policeman then I made a phone call to the company.”

Four fire crews battled the blaze in Church Street but around 70 per cent of the shop was destroyed.

Mr Blackman's actions were praised by Church Street fire station officer Adrian Dutson, who said: “It is very a very admirable thing to do, although we wouldn't encourage it as a general rule as it can put you at risk.”

But Mr Blackman, who has worked as a billboard man for 25 years, was modest about his feats, and insisted he was not a hero.

He said: “I’m sure if anyone else had a ladder they'd do the same thing.

“You can’t leave someone there with their children. It’s nice to do something for someone, that’s the main thing.”

The fire is being treated as suspicious.