QUICK-THINKING neighbours rescued a stricken man from the roof of his blazing home early today.

The man was forced on to the roof of his home at Helme, near Meltham, after a fire on the first floor.

Fire crews were called to the blaze at 1.50am.

Peter Mate, who is in his 60s, climbed out of his first-floor bedroom window after being woken by the smell of smoke.

Neighbours were also woken and put ladders up the roof at the back.

Mr Mate then made his way over the point of the roof and down the ladders to safety.

His next-door neighbour, Andrew Vaughan, aged 42, a support officer at Huddersfield University's Storthes Hall complex at Kirkburton, and another neighbour, called Mike, led him to safety.

Mr Vaughan, who lives at the cottage with his partner, was woken by his springer spaniel dog, Bren, barking.

Mr Vaughan said: "I went outside and could see Peter on the roof. Myself and Mike got a ladder and helped him down.

"Peter was black and covered in smoke, but not badly injured at all."

An ambulance took Mr Mate to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. He was suffering from breathing in smoke.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Mr Mate is thought to have lived at the two-storey stone cottage for about 30 years.

He is believed to have had a stroke 15 years ago but was reasonably fit and healthy. He is divorced man and believed to have a daughter in London.

Fire crews from Huddersfield, Slaithwaite, Meltham and Marsden went to the scene.

Slaithwaite Crew Manager Andy Wood said: "We were first on the scene and when we arrived neighbours were helping him down from the roof.

"They did really well. If they hadn't been there and been so quick-thinking the outcome could have been much worse."

Six firefighters tackled the blaze, which was confined to an upstairs bedroom.

The house is just yards from Helme School and there was a burned sofa outside the property this morning.

Mr Mate, who was alone in the house, was believed to have been in bed when the fire started.