A FIREFIGHTER is to receive official recognition for the heroic part he played in helping rescue a family from a blazing Canterbury pub. Shawn Hoare, a member of Canterbury Fire Station's Red Watch, will be commended by Kent Fire Brigade for saving a baby as fire raged through the City Arms in Butchery Lane last July.

Seven-week-old Daniel Henderson was snatched to safety as his father, Lee, hung from the pub sign 20 feet above the ground. Mr Hoare also rescued Mr Henderson and Daniel's mother, Karyn Dunning, from the blaze that left the building wrecked and gave engineers and building conservationists a long term re-building problem.

Six other firefighters from across east Kent will receive letters of congratulations for the part they played in the rescue. They are Sub Officer Steven Wright (Faversham) and firefighters Stuart Hoare (Whitstable), Ian Burnett (Elham), Stephen Davies (Canterbury), Emma Reynolds (Whitstable) and James O'Keefe (Ramsgate).

The awards will be presented on Tuesday at Kent Fire Brigade headquarters by Kent's Chief Fire Officer Peter Coombs and vice-chairman of the Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority, Tom Mason.