A trip to the local shop took a shocking turn for a heroic father-of-three from Harrow.

Mick O'Beirne was walking down Pinner Road on Saturday night (July 29) when he spotted smoke escaping through the roof tiles of a nearby block of flats.

Despite the roof glowing red with the intense heat, he didn't think twice before running into the burning building to save the lives of three people, including a young mother and baby.

The 38-year-old, whose children call him Superman, has been praised by the firefighters who arrived minutes after the property's roof "completely caved in".

One crew member at the scene said without Mr O'Beirne's "swift actions and quick thinking" the incident "could have had a very different outcome."

The roof collapsed within a minute of three people being rescued

"I was watching the boxing at home and realised I'd ran out of beer so I went to the shops and that's when I saw the smoke coming out of the roof," he told getwestlondon.

"I first thought someone must have been having a barbecue but when I came back out of the shop I looked up to the roof and saw flames coming out.

"I rang the fire brigade immediately and ran to the door, banging on it, shouting, screaming but there was no response so I kicked the door down.

"There were a group of people nearby and a Romanian guy who followed me in and we were banging on the doors to get people's attention.

"This guy woke up and had no idea. I told him to get some clothes on and get out.

"Then we went up to the loft where there was a young girl and baby. There was smoke coming through the roof, it was getting really hot and the ceiling started turning red."

Within minutes of safely evacuating everyone in the property, the red hot roof tiles buckled in the heat, causing it to "completely cave in".

"We got everyone out and as we crossed over the road the roof completely caved in, literally a minute later," Mr O'Beirne continued.

"Then the fire brigade arrived and there was lots of flashing lights and sirens. My wife came to find me when she saw the commotion.

"She knew I'd be stupid enough to go in but she was so grateful I was alive.

"She said to me, 'you went to get some beers but that could have been the last time I saw you' - that was when the reality set in."

Mick O'Beirne says he didn't think twice before running to help

Since the incident, Mr O'Beirne, who is the lead singer of the band The Craicheads, has been inundated with messages from members of the public praising his heroic actions.

"It feels very surreal, lots of people have been messaging me and I've been told I might even get an award for this," he said.

"The woman was in shock but the man we woke up was hugging me and kissing me, he has a wife and baby himself.

"I do think about what might have happened if I didn't go in, it was very lucky - the roof literally crashed down in minutes.

"I was going to watch the [fight] at my mate's, I think sometimes things do happen for a reason."

"My children thought I was Superman but now I think I've gone up a few notches," he added.

Despite as many as 60 firefighters battling the blaze, the roof and second floor of the building were entirely destroyed, London Fire Brigade confirmed.

The roof and second floor were completely destroyed

"We would like to praise Mick O'Beirne, the man who assisted the people from the flat, for his courageous actions," said group manager Tim Frost who attended the incident.

"He saw the flames coming from the roof and forced the front door, without any concern for his own safety, before assisting a man from the first floor flat and a woman and baby from the second floor.

"He did a tremendous job and without his swift actions and quick thinking, this incident could have had a very different outcome.

"When crews arrived they gave first aid and tackled the fire which was swiftly brought under control and damage was mainly confined to the roof space."

He continued: "While what Mr O'Beirne did was brave, we want members of the public to stay safe and would always encourage people to call 999 first in the event they witness a fire so we can get there a soon as possible."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.