A man who tried to rescue a neighbour from a fire has been thanked for being an "outstanding" member of the community.
John Owen and his partner Ingrid De Freitas were at home when they saw smoke and flames coming from a neighbour's maisonette in Gillman Drive, Stratford, on June 10.
The 76-year-old retired businessman, who has difficulty walking due to long Covid, grabbed a coat and made his way to the blaze, forcing his way past a crowd of onlookers.
"I thought, I've got to do something. I went out, walking as best I could. I heard a great big bang, like an explosion. There were three or four bangs," John said.
Unable to see her but shouting his neighbour's name, he tried to get past the front gate as the flames grew.
He felt his legs burning so tried a back door but was thwarted because the way was blocked.
Returning, he saw his neighbour, but could not reach her. When the fire brigade arrived, John returned home so as not to "get in the way". Sadly, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
John said: "I tried to help, but the flames were stopping me. There was nothing I could do. Not getting her out of there has set me back a bit. But I tried."
On the risk to his life, he added: "I understand it was dangerous. But you just do it. It's the thing you do."
Seeing the fire also brought back the loss of John's daughter Lorraine who died in a fire in Buxton Road, Forest Gate, in the 1970s. She was just 11 years old.
He went on to explain how he had already survived Covid-19 in spite of medics at one point giving him 48 hours to live.
Ingrid, his partner of 26 years, added: "I'm proud of him."
And so is the London Fire Brigade whose deputy assistant commissioner, Richard Welch, wrote to John, praising his "extremely valiant" actions despite knowing he too could have been injured.
In a letter of thanks, Mr Welch wrote: "I know Ingrid is extremely proud of you as we are in the London Fire Brigade and our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police".
It ends thanking John for being an "outstanding" member of the community.
The letter was presented at Stratford fire station in Romford Road where John and Ingrid met firefighters and enjoyed a tour.
"They're a lovely bunch of guys. They were just brilliant," John said.
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