AN AYR delivery driver has been honoured for his incredibly heroic actions among Britain’s shopworkers and delivery drivers at the 27th annual Retail Week Awards.

John Mark Brown has been awarded a top honour after preventing a life-threatening fire from engulfing a Co-op store and neighbouring buildings and businesses in in Alloway, near Ayr.

He is one of just a handful of frontline retail workers to have been honoured in this year’s Retail Week Awards 2022, which celebrates outstanding work in the sector.

When John discovered smoke was billowing from behind the freezer door of his trailer as he unloaded items at the Co-op’s Alloway store he acted quickly to move the vehicle away from the store’s delivery bay and surrounding buildings before unhooking the unit from his trailer, which was now engulfed in flames.

The decision to move the trailer was a quick and wise decision as the fire-warden who later attended the scene confirmed that both the store and the businesses on the same unit, a family-run restaurant and village chip shop, could have all been damaged beyond or repair or lost in the fire without John quick actions.

He has now been awarded Silver in the American Express Distribution and Delivery Hero Award at the Retail Week Awards 2022 for his heroic actions.

John said: “I quickly knew something was wrong and I had to take action.

“I generally take things in my stride, so was able to remain calm and just instinctively knew to move the van out of the way, where it could cause the least amount of damage to people and property.

“It was only afterwards it hit me as to the scale of damage which could have been caused, so I’m pleased my experience and calm approach kicked in.”

A fantastic show of calm and quick thinking in a situation which could have ended up much worse.