A BOY aged ten is being hunted by police after an arson attack on a house in Radcliffe.

A barking puppy helped save the lives of the young woman and her three small children who were fast asleep in their Larch Avenue home.

Mandy Hopkins (28) has been so traumatised by the attack that she now intends to flee the council house which has been her home for four years.

Recalling the terrifying events of Monday (Aug 12), she said: "It was about 11pm and I was watching television. Jessie, my 12-week-old puppy, got up on the window ledge and started barking. It was very unusual behaviour so I looked out and saw three boys who then ran off."

Shortly afterwards Jessie started sniffing and whimpering at the back door.

Mandy went upstairs to look out of the landing window and saw figures outside.

"A neighbour then came to tell me that my back door was on fire and I just went to pieces. I was crying and shaking."

By this time smoke was pouring into the house but the neighbour stamped out the flames while another neighbour woke Mandy's three children, Kirsty (9), Nathan (8) and Natasha (4) and took them to safety.

The police and fire service were called but the fire had already been put out before they arrived.

"I was nearly hysterical and the children were sobbing," said Mandy. "We were all trembling and although we stayed at my boyfriend's that night I don't think any of us got any sleep.

"How could anyone do this? It's sick. If I had gone to bed a bit earlier we might all have been killed."

She says she recognised one of the youths who ran away from her house and police investigations are underway.