A teenager has been hailed a hero for braving a wall of flames twice to save his trapped brother and girlfriend from their burning flat following a suspected arson attack.

Omar Ayub, 18, kicked down the front door as flames shot up it and went into the pitch-black ground-floor flat to find the terrified pair.

The drama at Oak Villas in Manningham, Bradford, started shortly after 10.30pm last Friday when Omar’s father Mohammed got a panic-stricken call from his oldest son Yunis next door screaming that he and his girlfriend could not get out of their burning flat.

Mr Ayub, 46, who had been watching TV ran round to his son’s flat and tried to batter down the door with a piece of wood he picked up.

“I was smashing it and smashing it trying to get through. Then Omar came and he kept kicking the door until it went through.

“He went in – it was like watching him walk through a wall of fire. He couldn’t see a thing in there, the smoke was choking him but he held his breath and went in. It was all done by feel, he got his brother and dragged him out then went back in and somehow managed to find the girlfriend lying on the floor. He is a hero.”

Mr Ayub’s youngest son had also tried to help but had been beaten back by the toxic smoke.

“My little girl was with us as well,” said Mr Ayub.

“I had not realised she had followed me out and when we kicked the door down she got the brunt of the smoke that poured out. I feel bad about that but she is okay, she was able to give firefighters all our names when they got to us and had to give us oxygen, I was just being sick and couldn’t think straight.”

Mr Ayub also paid tribute to the Bradford firefighters who gave them first-aid before paramedics took them to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

“I’ve never witnessed anything like that before and don’t ever want to be in that situation again. The fire service were unbelievable what they did for us, they are a credit to Bradford.”

Detectives in Bradford South CID are treating the fire as suspicious. Anyone with information should contact them on 0845 6060606 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on on 0800 555111.

Mr Ayub said: “My son has no enemies. We don’t know who did this or why but his car was broken into earlier in the week and the flat door had been yanked by something.”