QUICK-thinking photographer, William Morriss, today told of how he saved his neighbour from a burning building after arsonists struck in Ipswich.Mr Morriss discovered huge flames beating against the ground floor flat of a building in St George's Street on his return to his flat from the Brewers Arms pub in Orford Street.

QUICK-thinking photographer, William Morriss, today told of how he saved his neighbour from a burning building after arsonists struck in Ipswich.

Mr Morriss discovered huge flames beating against the ground floor flat of a building in St George's Street on his return to his flat from the Brewers Arms pub in Orford Street.

The 28-year-old said: "It is shocking to see your own home on fire. The flames we right up to the balcony on the first floor."

The fire had been started in a wheelie bin, at around 11.10pm yesterday. Flames spread to a pile of carpet and other material stacked next to it.

When he saw that the fire was threatening the front door Mr Morriss realised his elderly neighbour was in the top floor flat.

He said: "I grabbed a nearby For Sale sign to reach through the flames to my neighbour's doorbell. The fire was so hot the doorbell had started to melt but I managed to prod it with the end of the pole."

The pensioner managed to escape unharmed.

When the OAP was safely out of the building Mr Morriss called the fire brigade who arrived at the scene and put out the blaze in minutes.

Nobody was injured but the fire completely destroyed the bin, scorched brickwork and melted phone and electric cables on the front of the house. Melted plastic was splattered across the steps and the charred remains of the litter were scattered across the front garden.

Mr Morriss shares his second floor flat with his girlfriend Angelica Vallgren who was not in at the time. The couple moved to Ipswich from London three weeks ago.

Two other flats in the building were vacant. A spokeswoman for Suffolk Fire Service today said the cause of the fire was suspicious.