A pilot has single handedly saved around £1million worth of small planes from a fire – while holidaying nearby.

Andy Wilkins happened to be staying in a caravan site at Bodmin Airfield in Cornwall when he heard a loud bang from a nearby hangar.

As the fire began to spread through the hangar on Friday evening, the pilot managed to save eight aircraft by pushing three of them them out of the path of the flames and to safety outside, creating a fire break.

He was eventually stopped by Cornwall Fire Service when they arrived on the scene, due to the intensity of the inferno, but he saved at least a million pound's worth of equipment.

Mr Wilkins told the BBC: "I came out and saw flames coming out, called 999 and thought the next priority was to get the aircraft out of the hangar.

"They're important to us and the flying club at Cornwall and I just got them out. I'm a bit stiff this morning."

The aircraft hanger at the Bodmin Airfield in Cornwall, which suffered a fire Picture: David Young / Bodmin Flying Club / SWNS

The aircraft hanger at the Bodmin Airfield in Cornwall, which suffered a fire Picture: David Young / Bodmin Flying Club / SWNS

The fire was first reported at 7.30pm on Friday.

Darren Fern, chairman Bodmin Flying Club, told the BBC: "If all of the aircraft had been lost, there's potentially up to a million pounds worth of aircraft sitting here and Andy saved those.

"The fire brigade did a brilliant job of containing it but by emptying the hangar that was next door to it, it gave us a firebreak that saved all of the others so to do that all, virtually on his own, was an amazing job."

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service dispatched five fire engines, two water carriers, a light 4x4 vehicle and support vehicles to the scene to deal with the incident, while the cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Crews from Bodmin, Wadebridge, St Dennis, Padstow, St Austell, Launceston and Liskeard were all sent.