Hero Andy Haynes who rescued a teenage girl after three houses were destroyed by an explosion in Stanley Road, South Harrow has been denied his dream flat following a council blunder.


Mr Haynes, from Rayners Lane was thrust into the public eye last year when he rescued 17-year old Charlotte Anderson from rubble following the gas explosion in Stanley Road, South Harrow on May 7 last year.


The passer-by dragged Ms Anderson from the rubble after spotting her limp hand poking out of the rubble.


He had been round the corner in Sherwood Road when he heard the blast and had run to help, becoming one of the first people on the scene. It took 15 minutes to dig her out and pass her into the hands of the paramedics.


Emmad Qureshi, 26, was killed by a wound to the neck in the blast, two people, including Miss Anderson, were injured and numerous families temporarily homeless.


He has been on Harrow's Council housing waiting list for nearly five years and was elated to hear that he received a call from the housing department to tell him he had been offered a new flat last Friday.


He said: "I was so happy to be getting out of that tiny bed sit, paying £110 for one room, the first thing I did was call my mum and my brother, telling them that the flat was mine."


However, his hopes were dashed when, upon visiting the Civic Centre later that day to sort out the final details, he was told that the flat was no longer available to him.


The 44-year-old said: "I am absolutely gutted. I've done nothing wrong, just bid as I was asked to and went to view a property they requested I see."


In a statement by Harrow Council, Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane said: "Mr Haynes' housing application was given an incorrect assessment initially and was awarded a higher priority property than he should have been offered."


Mr Haynes said in response that he had not been given sufficient explanation and that the council was being evasive when approached.


He said: "It's not fair. I feel that I have already entered into a legally binding contract as I was told over the phone the place was mine but now they won't even look at me."


The council statement also read: "We are under legal obligations to follow the policy on letting properties, ensuring everyone is treated fairly according to their housing needs. For this reason; we were not able to allow Mr Haynes to move into this particular property.


"We have offered to work with him to find alternative private-rented accommodation and we are urgently reviewing our procedures to ensure this does not happen again."


Mr Haynes added: "They should not be allowed to get away with this. I won't go down without a fight."


Since the criminal investigation is ongoing, the inquest into Mr Qureshi's death is still adjourned to an unspecified date.


There have been no arrests or charges so far although the detectives involved recently received back from the Health and Safety Executive laboratories the results of tests carried out on pipes and gas equipment removed from the blown up house.