A FIRST World War hero who became an MP will be honoured by a prestigious plaque on the front of his old home.

Percy Dean, a Blackburner who was awarded the Victoria Cross after serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the First World War, will be commemorated with a blue plaque fixed on the front wall of the house in Gorse Road.

Mr Dean was selected for a plaque by Blackburn Civic Society after they researched and found out the exact house where he lived.

And the plaque has been welcomed by current home-owner Jasber Singh. Percy Dean, who was born in Blackburn, was awarded the Victoria Cross after serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at the age of 39 in 1917.

He joined the reserve after taking up recreational sailing, but became a skilled seaman.

In April 1917, when serving in the Dover Patrol, he was in the blockade of Zeebrugge and under constant fire from German machine guns.

Three men were shot while he manoeuvred his boat.

He escaped using only his engines, steering so close to enemy gun emplacements that they could not be lowered sufficiently to fire on his boat.

Many lives were saved due to Mr Dean's courage.

Returning to Blackburn after hostilities, he was elected as the town's Conservative MP in 1918, standing down in 1922. He spent his married life at the address in Gorse Road and also lived in Shear Bank Road.

He joined his father's company of slate merchants, becoming managing director, and died in March 1939 when a memorial service was held at St Silas' Church.

Richard Prest, chairman of Blackburn Civic Society, said: "The Civic Society find the subjects with the help of the council, who fund the plaques. We try and do at least one a year in Blackburn. Percy Dean was from a quite wealthy family and he did this heroic act in the naval blockade and then became the town's MP.

"The plaques are normally for prominent people who are dead and we try and find a building that has connections to the person in question.

"We had to have the householder's permission, but he was quite happy."

The unveiling of the plaque will be performed by John Leigh -- who, like Percy Dean, served in the Naval Volunteer Reserve Service and also lives in Gorse Road -- on Wednesday, April 23.