A HEROIC firefighter who resuscitated a baby on a window sill of a blazing block of flats has received a top fire service award.

Leading Firefighter Robert Cole, 25, was awarded a Chief Fire Officer's certificate of commendation as well as a rare Royal Humane Society certificate after saving the life of six-month-old Amy McGailey.

His eight colleagues, who helped rescue nine people in the same blaze, also picked up Chief Fire Officer's certificates of commendation.

Describing the incident as "terrifying", the Hightown firefighters told how they turned up at Winchfield Close, Weston, in the early hours of September 22 last year.

They found desperate residents ready to jump off their balconies as a fire in the stairwell threatened to engulf the three-storey building.

Firefighter Andy Tait said: "People were on the balconies with their legs over the side when we got there. The first ten minutes were crucial."

The White Watch team propped ladders up against the building to rescue the residents and began tackling the blaze, thought to have been started by arsonists.

Firefighter Nigel Blight added: "The fire itself was relatively small but the stairway had created a massive chimney for it.

"To rescue nine people in a short space of time like that was very unusual . . . terrifying."

It was during the multiple rescue that Robert discovered baby Amy had stopped breathing.

He stopped in the smoke-filled room to give her the kiss of life - which her family say saved Amy - before handing her out to rescuers on the balcony.

Later, Robert, from Bishopstoke, was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

But after picking up the award the brave firefighter of five years remained modest.

"It was a complete team effort all across the board that night," he said. "If one single person had not been there it wouldn't have had the same outcome.

"It was one of those situations when all the training came into its own and paid off."

Wife Susan added: "I am very proud of what he's done but he certainly doesn't like all this attention. He's very modest."

Speaking at the ceremony at Hampshire's fire service headquarters in Eastleigh, Chief Fire Officer Malcolm Eastwood said: "These are extremely rare certificates, every one is well deserved. It is also extremely rare for a Royal Humane Society certificate to be awarded in the fire service."

Six firefighters weren't present to pick up the awards. They were Gary Elston, Andy Butt, Mark Caplen, Richard Caws, Justin Turner and Leading Firefighter Alan Fryer.