Ex-EastEnder in fire rescue

The former soap star has been hailed a hero for his actionsÂ…

09:03 14 August 2009

Former EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham has helped his neighbours escape a burning building.

The 62-year-old, who played Dirty Den Watts in the BBC soap, was praised for his heroic actions after helping dozens of people away safely from the flames.

Grantham ran door to door inside the building urging residents to get out after he saw the flames at the apartment block in Swansea when a fire broke out on Thursday.

A resident told the Daily Mail: "Leslie was great, he banged on all the doors telling people to get out. By the time he escaped there was loads of smoke and we could hear the fire engines coming.

"I know he is famous for playing the bad guy but in this case he was a real hero."

Grantham had been staying with a friend in one of the flats when he noticed that the blaze had broken out inside.