A hero driving instructor braved thick, black smoke when he saved his elderly neighbour from a house fire.
Usman Aqif, of Langdale Road, returned from the school run to see "huge, black smoke" coming from his neighbour's house shortly after 8am on Monday (January 17).
And he instinctively rushed into the burning house before the emergency services had arrived at the scene, between Sneinton and Bakersfield.
Concerned about the elderly resident who lives at the property, 42-year-old Mr Aqif parked his car, opened the gate and shouted from outside to see if anyone was in.
And he described the frightening moment he found the house "covered in heavy smoke" when he opened the door.
Describing the dramatic rescue, he said: "I made one step and saw my neighbour, an elderly woman, down the stairs - she was covered in black smoke.
"I could not stop from coughing - this is how bad it was.
"It was quite frightening to be honest.
"The lady, who is in her 90s, did not seem to have any injuries, but her face was black from the smoke. She was very brave.
"I grabbed her and got her out of the house - then I called 999 immediately."
Firefighters from the London Road and Carlton fire stations attended the incident around 8.30am and the woman was taken to hospital where she is now being treated for smoke inhalation.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire has been deemed accident following an investigation.
Looking back at what happened, Mr Aqif said he was "very scared" - but that he was determined to save his neighbour.
"I was very scared because there was a lot of black smoke," he added.
"But I did not want anyone to be injured or worse - so I acted as soon as I could.
"I was shocked when I saw the smoke - and I could hear the fire burning inside while I was on the phone to 999.
"My children did not believe me when I told them the story."
His wife Saima Aqif said she was a "very proud woman" praising her husband's efforts.
The 43-year-old said: "I was asleep because I have a baby - so I did not know what happened until he told me.
"I could not believe it when I heard.
"The house fire was big because we could smell and see the smoke from our house.
"I am very proud of him - he was very brave."
Nabeel Hanif, a resident who lives nearby, praised his neighbour's courage, saying: "Usman is a very brave man - he grabbed the lady and was holding her."
The 45-year-old, who works as a courier driver, added: "It was very shocking but luckily we have got people like him who look for one another.
"This community sticks together."
Tim Marston, fire investigator and watch manager, said: "Even though we encourage people to follow our 'get out, stay out and call 999' advice, this brave act from the neighbour prevented the woman's injuries from being significantly worse.
"This incident just shows how important it is to have working smoke alarms in your property. We ask that every property has at least one smoke alarm on each floor and that they are tested regularly.
"It is also important that people have an escape plan and know in advance what to do if a fire occurs. Everyone within the household, or place of work, should know what to do as part of this plan.
"Local firefighters will be around Sneinton in the coming days to reassure the community and to provide important fire safety advice, which will include what to do if a fire occurs and how to formulate an escape plan.
"We are supporting the lady and her family as much as we can during this difficult time, and we wish her a speedy recovery."
To read all the biggest and best stories first sign up to read our newsletters here.
