A man in Louth has been labelled a 'hero' for dragging his elderly neighbour out of her burning home in the early hours of this morning.

The woman in her 70s was asleep in her house on Chord Road in Drogheda when it's believed a fire was deliberately started at the site.

Upon spotting the blaze, her neighbour, a man in his 30s, ran into the building and pulled the woman to safety.

Gardaí are this evening appealing for information which could help them establish a motive for the attack, while the elderly woman is being treated for severe burns in hospital.

Local Councillor Kenneth Flood says the brave man who came to her rescue has also been hurt: