Four dogs and parrot rescued from blaze

Firefighters were called out at 1.14am and spent three hours at the house.

The bedroom was destroyed by fire and the rest of the house was badly damaged by smoke and water.

The adjoining house also had smoke damage to the first floor.

One of the dogs -- a Chihuahua called Lady -- needed resuscitating with oxygen at the scene and her condition is still serious.

The other three dogs, two Chihuahuas and a Jack Russell named Tramp, Sparky and Buttons, as well as Cheeky the parrot were all said to be well.

Jackie Worthington, tenant and owner of the pets, had been out with friends when the fire occured.

She said: "I got a phone call to come home and I came up the back street and through the back door thinking my dogs would be in there. As I went in the firemen came out and told me they were all out.

"They'd already broken in the front door. Everything was trashed inside and my bed has just completely gone. I haven't got one now.

"My son, who is 10, is at the child minders at the moment so I'm going to have to tell him now.

"Lady, the eldest dog, had to be given oxygen and is in intensive care at the vets."

Station officer Nigel Clark said: "We had to break in to the next door property because a man was asleep in bed and the bedroom was quite badly smoke-logged. We advised him to go to hospital but he didn't want to go.

"Someone had broken in through the back door and we believe the fire was deliberately started in the bed."

Most of the house, except for the front living room, has been badly damaged and landlady Linda Taylor said it could take a long time to get it all back to normal.

She said: "It's not just the fire. The house has been trashed as well. The combi boiler was destroyed, the bed has gone, all the carpets are ruined and the childs clothes have gone."

Firefighters at the scene said a woman was arrested by police but a spokesman for the police said there was currently no-one in custody.