A NEIGHBOUR who suffered painful burns in a vain bid to save a grandmother and three little boys has not been invited to a ceremony honouring others for their courage tonight.

Kevin McKimm was one of the first on the scene in June last year when Sheila Humphrey's semi-detached house in Holly Hill, Shildon, County Durham, went up in flames.

Knowing that her young grandsons Corey, aged three, Stephen, two, and nine-week-old Ashley were inside, he dashed upstairs through dense heat and smoke.

This weekend, he was devastated to learn that the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire had awarded certificates of commendation to three other would-be rescuers, PCs Marty Hayman and Simon Cowan and a former neighbour Michael Jardine.

The chairman of Shildon Town Council Barry Powton is honouring the trio at a ceremony in Shildon Civic Centre this evening.

Mr McKimm, 47, a father-of-four, said: "I don't really care about the award because nothing will bring those little boys back.

"But I can't understand why I was missed out because everybody knew at the time.

"I went upstairs with bare feet so I got burned. The heat was so intense that the walls were yellow and orange. It was an inferno."

His wife Florence added: "I feel bad for him because he is still bothered by the thought of not being able to do anything."

Chief Inspector Terry Johnson, of Newton Aycliffe police, said Mr McKimm had not been nominated for an award.

He added: "We weren't aware of him.

"At the moment there is nothing we can do, but if he has been missed out and we can get somebody to back up his claim then his name can be put forward."