Brave Domante Butkute (14) sprang into action when a blaze started by arsonists saw flames leaping up as high as the balcony of their first floor home above shops in Chadburn, Paston, Peterborough.

The Orton Longueville School pupil led brothers Airidas (11) and Edvinas (8) to safety by dashing through the heat of the flames before returning for mum Marina (34) and three-month-old baby sister Daniella.

Today, her mum praised her quick-thinking daughter saying: "She is a little hero.

"She was just thinking about getting us safe and that everything is OK."

The drama began at about 9pm on Sunday when Marina, a former restaurant worker, was asleep in her bedroom and Domante was watching television.

With the smoke alarm sounding, she looked out on the balcony at the rear of their property and saw flames leaping up from a covered bin area below, where a sofa and other dumped rubbish had been torched.

Domante called out for help as neighbours poured water on the fire before waking her mum and younger brother and dialling 999.

She then led both her brothers across the balcony from the flat to an outer door which opens on to the stairwell.

Domante said: "I opened the door, but it was hot and burned my hand. I took my brothers downstairs and shouted, 'Mum, get out! We have unlocked the doors. Take everything and we can go!'

"I then took all the keys and documents and went out again with my mum and sister.

"I was just hoping that I could save my brothers and my family."

The family have only lived in the flat for a month after moving from Cromwell Road, but the fire was the second in the bin area in that time.

Marina said: "When we lived in the city centre, we never had a problem, but I feel very scared now.