What would you do if you saw someone trapped inside their burning home? Teenager George Riccardi didn't hesitate when he scaled the balcony of a first floor flat to help a grandmother and two children trapped inside.

SUZANNAH HILLS speaks to the 14-year-old who has been nominated for a Croydon Champions award for his act of bravery.

Teenager George Riccardi became a real-life hero when he applied his kick-boxing skills to rescue a grandmother from a fire that had started in her kitchen.

The drama unfolded as George, of Galpins Road, Thornton Heath, was walking home with his mum after successfully completing a gruelling kick-boxing demonstration to earn his red belt.

George leapt into action after he heard the woman's cries for help as he walked along London Road, Mitcham, with his mum Belinda Bean on October 2 last year.

The teenager, who was 13 at the time, said a lot of people were standing around with their shopping staring at the woman who was leaning out of her first floor bedroom window shouting "fire".

The gate leading to the block of flats was locked so George climbed up to the balcony and forced open the front door to get into the apartment.

Once inside he discovered the flat was covered in smoke and steam from a pot which had been cooking on the stove.

Two small children, a two-year-old boy and a baby girl were in the living room, but their grandmother Janet Osui was nowhere to be seen.

George found her locked in her bedroom a practical joke by her grandson.

All of the family were fine thanks to George's quick-thinking and bravery and were able to leave the building unharmed.

"The woman thanked me over and over again," George says. "The fire from a pot on the stove had got so hot it burnt my skin as I walked past the kitchen.

"I wasn't scared before I entered the building but when I saw the two small children I started to worry.

"I don't know what I would have done if I had found a dead body but luckily it wasn't that bad and they were all ok."

George, a pupil at Tamworth Manor School in Mitcham, adds: "I know it could have been a lot worse, but if I had to do it again, I would. I think anyone would if they were in that situation."