This mum saved a man from burning to death – how she was repaid will enrage you

A mum who risked her life to save a man on FIRE was rewarded by her bosses – with a £500 pay CUT.

Tania Armstrong had hundreds of pounds docked from her wages after taking time off due to the horror of what she’s witnessed.

After bravely rescuing a man engulfed in flames, the mum-of-two says that she suffers nightmares and fears the smell of the man’s burning flesh will scar her forever, Chronicle Live reports.

But the Tyne Housing Association, Newcastle, slashed her pay due to "cumulative sickness absence".

The firm admitted there is "no doubt" she saved a life – and maybe others – the mum-of-two still had her wages slashed due to sickness policy.         

"How could I have gone into work after that, if I had I’d have put other people at risk," fumed Tania.

"I’ve saved a man’s life, and then they want to take just under half my pay – how can they do that to someone?"

The horror unfolded at hostel Byker Bridge House, where she worked for four years.

A fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. Tania says that she opened the door to an image which will forever haunt her.

"He was lying on the floor, his body on fire with massive flames on his chest and his clothes melted on his body," claimed the 37-year-old.

"The smoke and flames were almost up to my chest, so I tried putting it out with a towel."

That didn’t work. Unable to call for help via radio due to the wailing alarm, she says that with her shaking hands she managed to grab a fire extinguisher.

He was left with painful burns. Tania said: "He basically had to be peeled off the floor."

But – miraculously – he survived, not least to Tania’s "unthinking bravery", according to her employer.

"I know the fire service have told you that your actions almost certainly saved this man’s life," stated a November letter from Tyne Housing Association.

"All the information we have received leads us to the same conclusion."

At her Walker home, Tania joked she thought she may get a medal.

Instead she says that she now needs a new job after the fallout sickened her so much she felt she had no option but to quit.

"I can’t go to work thinking, ‘if there is an incident and I have to react, will I be financially penalised?’" she said.

Disciplinary proceedings were launched weeks before the fire after Tania had two bouts of absence – one for just a day with a sore throat and a bout of time off for stress.

"That was after I found a dead body" claimed Tania, who looked after vulnerable people including drug addicts and ex-offenders.

"I’ve also had needle injuries and been assaulted at work, so I do put up with a lot – but I loved my job."

She claims she was warned the maximum penalty she faced then was a warning.

Tania claims she was always careful to adhere to company policy of obtaining a sick note for absences longer than a few days.

She said she was off again after the blaze, receiving counselling. In a letter sent last week, the firm insisted her £565 salary reduction was correct.

It states: "The policy is applied consistently for all sickness absences and does not allow for discretionary judgement on the nature or seriousness of an individual’s absence."

Tania raged: "I can’t work for them after this…If an incident happens, am I going to stop and think ‘how is this going to effect me financially?’

"I’m not staying to be financially penalised."

After realising the deduction would leave her struggling, she says that the firm then offered to loan her the missing cash in a gesture of "good faith".

"To me that was the most insulting thing at all, as I wouldn’t even get it until after Christmas – it was a joke," she raged.

And with Christmas nearing, she says that she is now jobless and admits: "I won’t be able to treat my kids like I would want for Christmas.

"I barely sleep, and when I do I have nightmares – I won’t forget the smell of the flesh.

"My husband is waking me up, telling me I’m shouting and balling – it is horrendous."

The firm declined to comment on Tania’s case specifically, however they did issue a general statement, it said "As a company, we are fully committed to providing all employees with the necessary support, training and resources to help them to carry out their jobs effectively.

"Due to the sometimes challenging environment we operate in, it is inevitable that our staff are faced with very difficult issues so we provide all staff with counselling and coping services.

"Our sickness policy is in line with similar organisations to ourselves.”

In letters seen by ChronicleLive, the firm told Tania her sick pay had been "exhausted due to previous instances of sickness".

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