A 20-year-old man from Mongeham has been hailed a hero after saving a three-year-old girl from burning at Warden House School’s annual charity fireworks display on Saturday.

Quick-thinking Conor Clark, of Cherry Lane in Great Mongeham, grabbed young Lilly-Rae Hackett’s furry rabbit hat from her head after a piece of scorching firework landed on it. It undoubtedly saved her from injury.

Lilly-Rae’s father Luke Hackett, 25, of Little Avenue, Deal, was carrying his daughter on his shoulders at the time and oblivious to Mr Clark’s heroic action.

Mr Hackett said: “I wondered why he had given me the hat and then I saw the burn.”

“I was walking past Lilly and Luke and I saw one bit go on to her hat and so I just thought ‘grab it’. I tapped it out because it was still burning. It was just my natural instinct” - Conor Clark

Before Mr Hackett was able to sincerely thank Mr Clark, the railway engineer apprentice had darted off. The relieved dad launched an appeal on Facebook to find him.

Mr Hackett posted: “Just wanted to put this up as I’m looking for the man that grabbed this hat off my daughter’s head at Warden House fireworks just in time before it could have left horrific burns. It was a scalding bit of firework.

“I never got a chance to personally thank him, so please if it was you or you know this man, can you please get him to contact me as I would like to thank him. My girl was very lucky and walked away with no injures all thanks to this guy.”

The post received more than 240 likes and 77 comments, with social media users branding the then unidentified Mr Clark as a “hero” and “top lad”. On Sunday morning after Mr Clark’s girlfriend had seen the post, he was identified.

Mr Clark said: “My girlfriend tagged me in the status. I was at work but saw it all on my break. I put a comment on the status and then Luke messaged me. I’m really grateful he got in touch, because a lot of people wouldn’t do that.

“I was there with my girlfriend and family. We were in front of them but we were moving backwards because there were quite a few bits landing in the crowds.

“I was walking past Lilly and Luke and I saw one bit go on to her hat and so I just thought ‘grab it’. I tapped it out because it was still burning. It was just my natural instinct.”

Mr Hackett said: “I really can’t thank him enough. I’m so grateful. It could have been so different.

“I’ve always gone there with the family and it’s never happened before. It was just a shock. I couldn’t believe it had happened.”

The annual event, which has been running for 26 years at the school, was cut short after several spectators were showered with ash and debris.

Head teacher Graham Chisnell said: “There was a change in the wind direction which moved the fall-out to the bottom corner of the field, by the nursery. As soon as we found out, we made the call to cut the show, to make sure nobody else was hurt.

“We ran the full risk assessment at the beginning of the show. This was out of our control.”

“We regret any distress caused by the fallen debris. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the people of St John Ambulance, who acted very swiftly.”

Lilly-Rae was checked over by the St John Ambulance and escaped without injury.

Mr Chisnell, who personally called the family on Monday, has issued Mr Hackett and Lilly-Rae a refund and promised to fund the replacement of Lilly-Rae’s favourite hat.

Her dad said: “It genuinely was her favourite hat. She got it from her aunty for Christmas. It’s the only one she’ll wear.”