Fire service operator Jane Phillips has been praised for keeping a choking woman alive in a smoke-filled flat.

The distressed 999 caller was unable to see to find her way out of the building and could not open the window to her room as dense smoke poured through the door.

Miss Phillips, of Progress Close, Ledbury, was on duty at fire control in Worcester when the call came in from Leominster.

The 25-year-old daughter of former Ledbury Sub-Officer Terry Phillips said: "All I could hear at first was this coughing."

Staying calm and professional, Miss Phillips was able to get the address from the frightened caller and direct two appliances to the scene.

Then all of her fire survival guidance skills came into play, as she passed on crucial advice down the phone to keep the woman alive until the crews arrived at the property.

She said: "I told her to make her way to the window, but she couldn't open it. So I told her to stay low on the floor, away from the smoke and breathe slowly."

Miss Phillips also secured a layout of the building and passed details on to the crew before they arrived at the scene.

When she heard the sound of breathing apparatus over the phone, she knew that the woman had been reached by firefighters.

Miss Phillips said: "Afterwards I thought, wow, did all that really happen? I suppose I saved her life."

The woman, who has not been named, was taken to Hereford County Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and was released the following day.

Miss Phillips's manager, fire control officer Pamela Davies, said: "She did her job and did it extremely well. She's a very dedicated, competent fire control operator and the advice she gave was excellent."

Jane's father, Terry, said: "She did well."