Baby in house blaze 'improving'

The two boys were dropped from a window to neighbours

A two-month-old baby boy who was dropped from an upstairs window by his mother to escape a fire is improving in hospital, say police.

The youngster and his brother, aged 14 months, were flung into neighbours' arms at Penrhiwceiber near Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley early on Wednesday.

Their three siblings and parents, who moved there from Gloucestershire, went to hospital with smoke inhalation.

The younger brothers are both improving after being critically ill.

Their two-year-old sister, who was is in a serious condition at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, has also improved.

The parents and older children, a six-year-old girl and four-year-old boy, are now "recovering well", according to a South Wales Police spokeswoman.

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Neighbours describe their shock at the fire and their efforts to rescue the family

It is believed the family have lived in the area for about 18 months after moving from Gloucestershire.

They have been named locally as parents Paul and Rosie Didlick, and children Nigel, Trevor, Shania, Stuart and Sarah.

Neighbours Neal Jones and Billy Chinnook caught the babies after their mother dropped them from a window at the terraced house in Woodfield Terrace.

Her husband had earlier jumped from a bedroom window to raise the alarm at about 0650 GMT on Wednesday.

Mr Jones, who is a "first responder" volunteer with the Welsh Ambulance Service, said they managed to get two of the children out through the downstairs window.

"Then Billy caught the one baby, well I say baby - he's about 12 or 14 months old - and I caught the second baby about two months old.

"I then put a ladder up to get the mother out."

Mr Chinnook added: "The mother dropped the babies and we caught them on the pavement in our arms."

You just try your best, because at the end of the day life is precious Neighbour Billy Chinnook

Mr Jones said: "You just try your best, because at the end of the day life is precious. And I think that me, Billy and all the neighbours here have done the best they can do."

While the men were helping get the family out of the house, women on the street looked after the children.

Julie Chinnook said she was "petrified" and "crying" throughout the rescue.

"When the men were passing the children down I was just grabbing them and bringing them to the rest of the neighbours and we were just trying to do stuff with them.

"The one little boy wasn't breathing when I had him so we were just rubbing his back and trying to get him to breathe. Just trying to do our best with them.

"I was petrified, crying. Everybody feels the same. It was frightening. We're all so worried about the children."

Another neighbour Michael Phillips had fire extinguishers in his van, which were used to douse the flames.

I was petrified, crying - everybody feels the same - it was frightening - we're all so worried about the children Julie Chinnook

"It was absolutely frightening, it was really scary. I have never seen anything like it in my life," he said.

"It made my stomach turn a little bit. You don't expect things to go like that on your own front door. It's lucky I had the fire extinguishers in the van really because if they hadn't put the fire out it might have spread and who knows what could have happened? I think it's hit us all a little bit."

The neighbours are now collecting clothes and toys for the family.

Frances Howells said: "People have offered to give things, even the kids in the street are looking for toys. The whole street is taking part."

South Wales Police and the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are investigating the cause but the fire is not believed to be suspicious.

Andy Thomas, head of operations at the fire service, praised the actions of neighbours in the emergency, with one extinguishing the fire before crews arrived.

He said:"They made a real difference to the evacuation of the family and showed a true community spirit.