IT STARTED off as a quiet night in front of the television at his pregnant girlfriend's house for Luke Crawley.

But moments later the scaffolder was outside the block of flats next door on Aberthaw Road in Alway, Newport, catching a baby dropped by its terrified mother as a fire raged outside their front door.

The Argus reported on Monday how terrified Amy Peterson was forced to throw her 11-month-old baby Faye from the window of her flat after the fire on the floor below trapped them inside.

Recalling the incident, Mr Crawley, 26, described rushing outside barefoot into the street after his girlfriend Danielle Simms said she could hear screaming.

He spotted the fire and ran round to the front of the flat where, on the second floor, he was confronted by a terrified Ms Peterson and her daughter shouting down from the bedroom window.

“ I shouted to her to drop the baby, there was no other option,” Mr Crawley said.

“She was saying to me ‘you promise you’ll catch her’ and I was reassuring her saying I promised.

“She must have dropped her about eight feet I guess, there was no way I was going to drop a baby.

“Thinking about it now it was a bit scary but at the time it was just adrenaline I guess, like I say there was no other option.”

"I didn't want to do it," said a shaken Miss Peterson, "I shouted to him you promise you'll catch her? And he said 'yes, of course.' I had no other option but I'm glad I trusted him, I was right to," she said.

The safe handed Mr Crawley pouched little Faye before whisking the tot to safety.

Miss Peterson, Faye and their dog Pippa had been left stranded after a fire, which South Wales Fire and Rescue said had been deliberately started when a motorbike was set alight, had ripped through the stairwell of the block of flats.

The fire had spread to right outside their front door, trapping the family inside their home.

Firefighters from Maindee, Malpas and Duffryn extinguished the blaze but it was still 50 minutes before the stairwell was cool enough for the terrified Miss Peterson and Pippa to join Faye back on the ground.

All were unhurt, as were next door neighbours Doris and Geraint Lloyd who had been left trapped on their balcony.

“I haven’t seen them obviously as they went straight to hospital so it’s nice to know they are all ok,” Mr Crawley said.

"I'm just really grateful to him," Miss Peterson said. " I was asking people on Facebook who he was and so it's nice to say a big thank you."

Miss Peterson said the family were doing well, but she was still too nervous to return home just yet.

Police are still appealing for anyone with any information to come forward by calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.