TWO men from Pontypool have spoken about the incident which saw them win a Police bravery award.

Dale Mitchell and David Millett, both from Talywain, were recognised at the National Police Public Bravery Awards after saving a neighbour and his dog from a fire at a property in Raglan Close.

Mr Millett used an axe to break down the front door after they were unable to barge it open, and they both climbed the stairs to the living room door.

Mr Mitchell then used the axe to break down the living room door, which had been barricaded from the inside.

Both men took turns to run outside for fresh air, before going back into the address to help the occupant from the property, and then going back for his dog.

Mr Millett said that his son first alerted him to the fire.

He said: "My son Tom came running down the stairs and said there was a fire in the flat across the road.

"I went down with him and started ringing the fire brigade as we went down.

"I had to call him back to stop him from going in - he was only 17 at the time."

Mr Mitchell was cooking at the time, when his partner spotted a commotion on the street.

He said: "You could see that there was smoke and flames coming from the flat opposite us.

"At that time there was another couple of people out on the close, which was David and his son trying to raise the attention of the people in the bottom flat."

Mr Mitchell said that it wasn't until afterwards that what had happened started to sink in.

He said: "I didn’t really think about it. Adrenaline just kicked in.

"We weren’t even aware that he was in there. It was only when we had got him out that we actually looked at each other and said: ‘that could have gone wrong’."

"It was a bit scary afterwards when it actually started to sink in.

"Sometimes it still doesn’t sink in, what me and David did.

"It does feel nice that we did save him, and that he is still alive for his family."

Mr Millett said that he had to stop his son from running in to the building

He said: "It was Tom that raised the alarm, we just acted upon impulse.

"If I had thought about it, I’m not sure I would have done it.

"Impulse took over and we went to get him without thinking really.

"Tom was perfect. I didn’t want him going in to the building, but he went and got the axe, he helped alert the neighbours, he was great.

"Those couple of minutes that he alerted us could have been the difference between our neighbour living or dying.

"He should have had the recognition that we had."

Mr Mitchell received his award at the National Police Public Bravery Awards ceremony in London, but Mr Millett was unable to attend, and collected his award from the Gwent Police headquarters.

Mr Mitchell said: "The ceremony was amazing. Hearing what everyone there went through was incredible.

"In years to come, its something to look back on and be proud of."

Mr Millet said: "I met Chief Constable Pam Kelly, and she thanked me for what I did. It was nice to hear someone that high up thank you.

"We didn’t do anything special in our minds. It does feel nice though to have done something good, to think that we helped save someone’s life, but I did it because it is the right thing to do.

"It is something to show the grandkids though."