Jordan Lowe returned home to find the kitchen full of smoke, switched off the gas cooker and alerted his mum who was at a neighbour's home.

He says he knew exactly what to do, as he had been on a Firesetters' education course run by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service just weeks before, after being caught playing with fire.

Jordan's mother, Donna, said had it not been for his reaction, their home on Lime Grove could have been badly damaged: "When I got into the house I couldn't see because of the smoke. I completely forgot I had left the cooker on to boil some gammon and it had boiled dry.

"The alarm was going off and it took more than an hour to get the smoke out of the house. I was very proud of Jordan. He is quite a little hero," she said.

The Firesetters team had taken Jordan through their education programme after Donna found he had been burning paper on the cooker and putting it into the bin, unaware of the danger.

Brigade Youth Officer, Lynn Hosking, said: "Our teams educate more than 100 children every year with an average 85 per cent success rate. Jordan appears to have learned a new positive safety attitude and we are delighted the free smoke alarms we fitted in his home gave them an early warning."

• Anyone requiring a free smoke alarm can contact the fire service on 01743 260298.