A MOTHER and young son who were rushed to hospital after being rescued from a dramatic house fire are "on the mend".

Land and air ambulances - as well as four fire crews - were called to the blaze in Usmere Road, Kidderminster, at about 9.25am on Friday. Neighbours had helped save the boy's life and are set to be nominated for a bravery award by police.

Steven Parker said his girlfriend Vicky Lavelle, 23, had since been taken off a ventilator and brought out of sedation at Selly Oak Hospital while her three-year-old son Anthony has also been transferred there from Birmingham Children's Hospital.

She had suffered burns to her upper right arm and wrist and severe smoke inhalation while Anthony sustained burns to his legs.

Mrs Lavelle had lost consciousness while clutching her son out of her bedroom window as the flames and smoke spread through the house from an adjacent rear bedroom.

Neighbour Kevin Shurmer had seen the smoke and kicked the front door down but was unable to get to the bedroom.

Another neighbour, George Smith, climbed on Mr Parker's shoulders and plucked Anthony from his unconscious mother's grasp before she fell back into the room.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and used breathing apparatus to tackle the blaze and pulled Mrs Lavelle out through the front door.

Mr Parker, known to his friends as Mickey, then attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on his girlfriend before two ambulances arrived seven minutes after being called.

"They were very, very lucky," said 37-year-old Mr Parker, who had been to the shops and first saw the smoke from a distance before racing back.

Anthony was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital while Mr Parker travelled with Mrs Lavelle, who due to the nature of her injuries had to be taken to Selly Oak by land ambulance.

"She was unconscious but was still holding Anthony out of the window - that's how brave she was," added Mr Parker, who also praised the role of the paramedics and hospital staff in dealing with the incident.

She is in intensive care and was gradually regaining consciousness as the Shuttle/Times & News went to press.

Two friends who had been staying at the house and Mrs Lavelle's daughter Charlotte managed to escape the fire.

Fire brigade staff are investigating the cause of the blaze, which they described as "severe" but is thought to have been an accident.

Mr Parker said he was also grateful to the two neighbours for their roles in the rescue. Police also plan to nominate them to the Royal Humane Society for bravery awards.

But Mr Shurmer said: "We're not heroes. We were just being neighbourly."