Man wins praise for heroic deed

4:19pm Monday 29th January 2001

A BECKENHAM man has been hailed a hero after saving a baby from the path of an oncoming bus.

David Cornish, 37, probably saved the babys life after its pram had accidentally rolled into the middle of Bromley Road, in Beckenham, opposite the Oakhill Tavern pub where Mr Cornish works.

Mr Cornish was walking along the street when he noticed the pram had moved into the road.

Seeing a bus bearing down towards it, he rushed towards the pram and managed to pull the baby clear before a tragic impact.

He said: "I saw the pram in the road and the bus picking up speed.

"Then the driver started to break when he saw what was happening.

"I didnt have time to think really. It was one of those incidents where you just act without thinking."

Mr Cornishs quick reactions meant the child was able to escape without any harm coming to it .

"The baby didnt seem to know what had happened to it. It just lay there laughing the way babys do," he added.

The pram had rolled into the road after the baby's father had forgotten to put on its brake.

The father was said to be extremely grateful, but left without leaving his name.

The driver of the bus, a number 227 going towards Beckenham town centre, was described as being "very shaken" by the incident.

Locals at Mr Cornishs pub have been singing his praises.

One of his fellow barman said: "He has a heart of gold.

He is a lovely chap, and it was just typical of him to do such a selfless thing."

David, though, remains typically modest about his heroism.

"It really was nothing. Im sure anyone would have done the same thing."

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