TWO HEROIC police officers have been praised for putting their own lives at risk to rescue a woman from a burning house.

Despite needing hospital treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation the sergeant and woman PC both returned to duty later in the day.

The drama began just after 1.30am yesterday when the occupant of the house in Alwen on the Plas Madoc Estate in Acrefair called the fire service after smelling smoke.

One person was downstairs in the living room and a female was in the bedroom of the two-bedroom mid-terrace council property when the fire broke out.

Sgt Paul Hughes and PC Yvie Johnson, who are both based at Rhos police station, were in the area at the time of the call.

They entered the house and fought their way through thick smoke to guide the woman to safety from the upstairs landing.

Afterwards they were both taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Following treatment they were later discharged and remained on duty for the rest of the morning.

Their action has been praised by Superintendent Neill Anderson who said: “They were very brave and put their own safety at risk to save the occupant of the house.”

Fire crews from Wrexham arrived on the scene soon after.

The bedroom was left fire damaged and there was widespread smoke damage to the first floor.

The cause of the blaze is now being investigated.

Smoke alarms at the property were not in operation.

Alan Roberts, operations development manager for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The fact that the alarms in this property had been disconnected is extremely frightening.

“It demonstrates again that working smoke alarms are essential in every home.

“Had both occupants been asleep we could so easily have been dealing with the tragedy of two lives lost to fire and the development of the fire to adjacent properties.”

There was no-one at the house when the Leader called yesterday.

A spokesman for Wrexham Council said the female occupant had been offered emergency temporary accommodation but had made her own arrangements.