AN ARSONIST has been jailed after a blaze ripped through flats and a pub leading people to flee for their lives.

Russell Hartley, 47, of Wellington Street, Accrington was sentenced to five years after pleading guilty to arson recklessly endangering life.

Hartley, who appeared at Burnley Crown Court yesterday, admitted setting fire to a staircase at the back the Calder pub on Accrington’s Blackburn Road at 2pm on Friday October 29.

Three residents aged, 54, 42 and 18 became caught up in the fire.

Police said that to escape they were forced to run through flames as the stairs had a raging fire underneath.

Several people who were in the pub at the front of the building were also evacuated.

No one was injured but the fire caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the whole building. The pub remained closed for several days and had to undergo a major refurbishment.

Calder landlord Denis Gosling, 39, who runs the pub with his wife Rachel, said the fire also affected Christmas trading and cost their business approximately £40,000.

He said: “From Hallowe'en, one of our busiest weekends to Christmas, the pub reeked of smoke.

"It also affected the nearby bars, because we are a ‘meet up’ pub.

“I think the fire service, and my staff did a great job. The staff got everybody out in time and the fire service’s quick response meant the pub was still standing.”

Hartley was arrested after he was seen on CCTV taking cardboard from a nearby bin and entering the flats. He was seen to leave a short time later before the fire was discovered.

DS Paul Langley said: “This was a callous and reckless act and it is only through good fortune that no one was killed.

"Hartley deliberately started the fire knowing there was at least one person in the building. He had no thought for the consequences of his actions.”

Station Manager Mark Hutton, head of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's incident intelligence team, said: "Where an individual chooses to use fire as a weapon they should know we will always conduct detailed investigations.

"Such incidents almost always place lives at risk and result in serious injury or worse."