Mystery hero in city blaze alert

A mystery man waving at CCTV cameras helped save a Lincoln shopping mall from flames which threatened to engulf it.

One firefighter was injured in a severe blaze which ripped through a restaurant on the first floor of the Shopping Mall, in High Street, Lincoln.

But CCTV camera operators were only alerted to the fire at 4.31am yesterday when a young man began waving at the cameras, which were pointed downwards towards the street, in a desperate attempt to attract their attention.

Six fire crews and a hydraulic platform were required to control the fire which also damaged the recently refurbished Gere Menswear and Milano's Pizza on the ground floor of the mall.

Angela Porter, proprietor of Image bridal wear at the Shopping Mall, said: "I would like to thank CCTV for being so observant and it just shows the benefits of it. I dread to think what would have happened if the fire had been around for longer."

Steve Bird, acting head of communication, leisure and sport at Lincoln City Council said: "The command network does not look at shop fronts.

"There was someone walking down the street who could see something and waved to the camera."

Gere Menswear owner Scott Crowson said he was looking at having to refit the whole shop less than a week after revamping it.

"It will probably be about four to eight weeks before it is sorted out but it is business as usual at our other shop on Clasketgate," he said.

Nick Davis, group manager at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said investigations into the cause of the blaze were still ongoing.

For the full story see Tuesday's Lincolnshire Echo.