Latest news straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Two quick-thinking students saved the lives of others sleeping in a Birmingham house and prevented a catastrophic explosion as deadly gas escaped from a cooker that had been left on throughout the night.

University of Birmingham students Charlotte Coleman and Sean McDonald, who act as community wardens in partnership with West Midlands Fire Service, were outside a house in Bournbrook Road, Selly Oak, when they noticed the strong smell of gas.

Politics and economic student Sean said he was immediately concerned for the welfare of the occupants.

He said: “I was a few houses down when Charlotte shouted my name and asked me to walk up and see if I could smell gas. As soon as I approached, the strong smell hit me and I immediately knew this was a dangerous situation.

“The amount of gas in the property was astounding. We could smell it so strongly from the street. If there had been any kind of spark it would have undoubtedly been catastrophic not only for the house which left the gas on but the neighbours and potentially beyond.”

The pair raised the alarm with the fire service and a crew from Bournbrook raced to the scene and managed to wake a student who threw his keys out of the window.

Firefighters discovered the sleepy occupants had left their gas cooker on overnight.

All of the residents escaped unharmed, but the outcome could have been a lot worse.

Group Commander Dave Boucher, of West Midlands Fire Service, said: “My sincere thanks and gratitude go to Charlotte and Sean. Without doubt, their quick and decisive actions saved the lives of everyone in the property as well, potentially, of those in neighbouring premises.”