A WOMAN who admitted to recklessly setting fire to a Blackburn flat has been warned she faces prison.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court over the video link from Styal Prison, Simran Khan, 22, pleaded guilty to a single charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Khan pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of arson with intent to endanger life. Those pleas were acceptable to the prosecution.

The charges related to a kitchen fire at a second floor flat at the Blackburn with Darwen Foyer flats on Prince's Street at around 8.30pm on January 16.

Fire crews from the town were sent to the incident initially believing nobody was inside the unit. However they rescued a woman, who was still inside the building.

Defending, Kathryn Johnson said a psychiatric report had already been put together but asked for an adjournment for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Ms Johnson said: "The psychiatric report was primarily maintained to deal with fitness to plead. The defendant was found fit to plead otherwise she wouldn't have been arraigned this morning. It does deal with mental health history.

"Your Honour will have seen from the police interview what the defendant said about the explanation as to why the fire was set."

Judge Robert Altham adjourned the case until July 21 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Khan, of Prince's Street, Blackburn, was remanded into custody until then.

Judge Altham said: "Given this is a young defendant with no previous convictions engaging in this sort of behaviour, I think a pre-sentence report would be helpful.

"I am afraid because of the current situation they are taking eight weeks, which is far longer than would ordinarily be the case. I appreciate that life remanded into custody at the moment is particularly difficult but the court will need that report before the defendant can be sentenced."

Addressing Khan directly, he added: "I am going to put this case back until July 21 with an estimated length of hearing of one hour. Cooperate with the author of the pre-sentence report, it may well help you.

"Just because I'm ordering a pre-sentence report it doesn't say what the sentence is going to be. All options including further immediate custody remain open."