Woman quizzed in blaze drama

A woman in her 40s staying at the house in St Marys Road was rescued from the blazing bedroom by paramedics, who dragged her out after neighbours called 999.

She was then arrested by police on suspicion of arson which could have endangered life, handcuffed and taken to Conquest Hospital in an ambulance.

Police questioned the woman at the hospital where she was bailed pending further inquiries. She left the Conquest on Thursday morning after being treated for smoke inhalation.

The three other people in the house '” a middle-aged woman, her son and a male friend '” were treated at the scene by paramedics.

Two crews from The Ridge and one from Bohemia arrived on the scene at 6.20pm after the woman was rescued, with the bedroom engulfed in flames and the fire threatening to spread to the rest of the house.

Leading firefighter at The Ridge, Ted Williams, said there were several patches in the room where the fire appeared to have started from.

He said: "We had four breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets and we managed to stop the fire getting into the loft."

Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes, but were damping down hotspots until midnight.

Tony Wyatt, 31, of St Marys Road, took these photographs after his son ran in the house when he saw the smoke.

He said: "The woman was being arrested and she was screaming her head off."

Investigating officer DC Richard Laws said he has yet to speak to the other woman in the house.

She moved her belongings out of the rented property on Wednesday afternoon and is now said to be living with family.

DC Laws said it is unclear how the fire started and is awaiting a report from scenes-of-crime officers.

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