A YOUNG boy raised the alarm and saved his family from a devastating house fire.

Paul Taylor, 12, acted quickly when fire broke out at the family home in Ilford Road, Harwick, Stockton, in the early hours of yesterday.

He helped his pregnant mother, Donna, sister Danielle Charlton, 15, sister Lauren Taylor, nine, and brother, Shaun Taylor, three, escape through the back of the house.

He then alerted the next-door neighbours.

They were all taken to the nearby University Hospital of North Tees but only Donna, 40, and Paul were kept in hospital.

At first it was thought a child may have been trapped upstairs and firefighters made two thorough searches of the property.

Three fire engines attended, two from Stockton and one from Thornaby and firefighters wore specialist breathing equipment.

Paul, who has asthma, suffered from smoke inhalation and was put on a drip in hospital for a while but was not badly hurt. He and his mother stayed in hospital yesterday for observation. None of the family was thought to be seriously hurt.

The family were all out of the house by the time the fire brigade arrived and were taken to hospital by ambulance.

The house was badly damaged by flames and smoke and the family's pet budgie was killed.

However, Danielle managed to find her pet hamster alive and well when she returned to try to salvage her school homework.

The cause of the fire, which started shortly before 5am, was unknown yesterday but was being investigated.

It is thought that it began in an upstairs room which was badly damaged by flames and smoke.

David Charlton, Mrs Taylor's older son who lives elsewhere in the town, said that he was called at 6am. He said: "I was panicking a bit but everyone was all right and that is the main thing.

A lot of stuff has been destroyed but the main thing is no one is hurt. My mam and the children are going to stay with me, my sister Carrie and my nan."