Hero schoolboy saves family from burning home - by leaping onto trampoline

A QUICK-thinking boy saved his family from their burning home after raising the alarm by jumping from his bedroom window - onto his trampoline.

Left to right: Rebecca Mason, quick-thinking Connor Mason, relieved mum Bev Allen and Nathan Allen Left to right: Rebecca Mason, quick-thinking Connor Mason, relieved mum Bev Allen and Nathan Allen [ROSS PARRY]

Heroic Connor Mason, 11, helped his mum and two siblings to escape without harm from their home after arsonists poured fuel through the letterbox.

He flung himself from the 25ft first floor window and broke his fall on the trampoline the family had owned for just a day.

Connor then alerted a neighbour who called the fire brigade to the home in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.

He thought so quickly and went to get help. We had only had the trampoline for a day so it must have been fate

Beverley Allan

His relieved mum Beverley Allan, 42, said: "We are so proud of Connor for doing what he did.

"He thought so quickly and went to get help. We had only had the trampoline for a day so it must have been fate.

"It could have been so much worse so he really is our little hero."

Beverley and Connor and his siblings Nathan Allan, 15, and Rebecca Mason, nine, were all asleep when the fire broke out at around 3am on August 23 after the front door was set alight.

Single mum Beverley said: "Our dog, Princess, woke me up as she was barking so I got up and went to the top of the stairs to tell her to be quiet.

"Suddenly someone shouted, 'I'm going to kill you', and then they set the door on fire.

Heroic Connor Mason leaps on his life-saving trampoline which the family bought 24hours before the fire Heroic Connor Mason leaps on his life-saving trampoline which the family got 24hours before the fire [ROSS PARRY]

"They actually poured petrol all down the front door and through the letter box. It was terrifying." But within minutes, Connor had raised the alarm and the family managed to put out the fire with a duvet just before firefighters arrived.

Nick Abbott, watch manager at Dearne Fire Station, South Yorks., said: "It was a brave thing for the lad to do.

"We advise people to get out and stay out of house fires and to lower yourself down rather than leap, but this could have been a lot worse had it not been for his actions.

"The dog's barking also helped to save their lives and so did the actions of the neighbour.

"I have no idea who would do such a thing to a family, I can't see why someone would have a vendetta against them or whatever.

"We believe at this stage it was caused deliberately. This could have caused a fatality.

"It is a shocking thing for someone to do." Firefighters who attended suspect a lit object was thrown into the home, by arsonists who then fled the scene.

The flames from the fire, which were burning for around ten minutes, caused damage to the door and hallway.

"There wasn't a huge amount of damage, but it could have been a lot worse," said Beverley.

"We're all still sleeping downstairs because we're scared about not getting out if it happened again.

"I just keep hearing that voice coming through the letterbox. It was evil."

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police confirmed they were looking into the incident.

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