A SCHOOLBOY who started a house fire that risked the lives of a mum and her eight-month-old baby has kept his freedom.

Burnley Crown Court heard the 14-year-old - who the judge ordered should not be named - would now have one to one guidance from fire service staff as part of a three-month community penalty.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said she had to protect the public from the teenager but also help him.

And she told the schoolboy if he flouted the order he might not be going home to his mother.

Judge Lunt continued: "You have got a good mum.

"She doesn't need this kind of worry. You start helping her."

The defendant, from Accrington, had earlier been convicted by a jury of arson.

The court heard the teen was found with two lighters after the blaze and that he and an alleged accomplice - later cleared of the offence - blamed each other.

The court yesterday was told that under the action plan, the boy would have a family support worker and would undertake some community reparation work.

He would have three to four sessions with a fire officer and the probation service would build on that work.

Mark Stuart, defending, said the proceedings had had a marked effect on the youth. He had woken up sobbing over the last seven months and had been extremely scared about what would happen to him and had obvious difficulties.

The defendant had never been in trouble with the law before and was perfectly well behaved while at school. He was not a disruptive influence and had not caused problems at home.

Mr Stuart said the child had lost over a stone in weight because of worry over the proceedings and it had been difficult to get through to him the consequences of a fire.

The barrister told the court: "He has been very worried he might be taken away from his mother."