Two modest heroes rescued a young boy from the roof of his smoke filled home in Bolton.

Gas engineers Adil Sarwar and Paul Hudson (pictured) saw 11-year-old Ilyas Mogradia huddled on a roof ledge wearing just a pair of shorts as thick smoke billowed around him.

They slammed on the brakes of their van in the middle of the road, leapt out, grabbed a pair of ladders from the back of the vehicle and dashed up to the roof to save him.

Passengers on a double decker bus also stopped to help after persuading the driver to pull over.

Mr Sarwar and Mr Hudson had been driving home after a day's work at Amara Plumbing and Heating Supplies in Derby Street, Bolton.

As they passed the Derby Discounts store, they noticed the boy in distress and smoke pouring from the two houses behind the shop. Mr Hudson helped shocked Ilyas climb safely down the ladders, as passers-by and neighbours gathered to watch the dramatic rescue unfold. Mr Sarwar climbed through the window to check no-one else was trapped in the building.

Mr Sarwar, aged 31, who has two children of his own -- Amara, aged three, and Azaan, aged four --said, "I knew I had to help the moment I saw the child. I didn't need to think about it. If you see a young child who needs help you just go over and help."

Mr Sarwar said, "I am just glad that nobody was hurt and that there were no fatalities - that is enough reward for us. We did not do it for thanks."

When the emergency services arrived the two unassuming heroes slipped away, but after the drama, people started wondering who the brave rescuers had been.

It was only after a proud collegue notified a local newspaper.

Mr Sarwar said, "I am just glad that nobody was hurt and that there were no fatalities - that is enough reward for us. We did not do it for thanks."

The blaze is believed to have been started by an arson attack to the garage at the back of Derby Discounts. The fire spread from the garage to the kitchens in two houses connected to the back of the store, all owned by the Mogradia family.

Ilyas became trapped upstairs because he was in the bathroom at the time of the fire. Other members of his family escaped as they were downstairs at the time.