A BOY suffering from spina bifida is still recovering from horrific burns sustained during a house fire.

Ten-year-old Barry Laing was rescued from the Darlington house fire by his sister Kirsty, 12.

The pair were staying at a friend's house in Darlington in January when a fire broke out in the bedroom where Barry was sleeping.

Barry, who is paralysed from the waist down, was not aware of the blaze until his sister woke him up and dragged him to safety.

Their mother, Jacqui Keenan, said: "Barry could not feel that his legs were badly burnt, which was a blessing in some ways, but he would have woken up quicker if he had felt the pain.

"He still has bandages on his legs from his injuries but he is being very brave about it."

Barry, a Springfield school pupil, and Kirsty, who attends Haughton Community School, were both awarded Positive Young People awards at a recent ceremony supported by The Northern Echo.

The ceremony was held to recognise the bravery and achievements of young people in Darlington.

Miss Keenan said: "Kirsty is a great help with her brother on a day-to-day basis, and they get on really well together.

"I do rely on her to help me and she always does. She takes Barry to all sorts of events and he never lets his problems get him down."