Family rescued after arson attack on Birkenhead home

Dec 8 2008 By Lorna Hughes

A BIRKENHEAD family-of-four had to be rescued by firefighters on Sunday (December 7) after an arson attack at their home.

Bin bags were piled against their front door and doused with petrol before being set alight.

Fire crews were called to the maisonette above a row of shops in St Anne Street shortly before 8pm.

Four firefighters wearing breathing equipment rescued a woman and her sons, aged six and four. They were sheltering in the boys' bedroom after being told by a fire service operator to hide.

Their father heard a noise outside the flat and opened his front door to find a wall of flames.

He made a 999 call while a neighbour tried to douse the flames with a bucket of water.

The boys were taken to Arrowe Park Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Birkenhead fire station watch manager Gareth Kay said: "A quantity of rubbish was piled up against the front door of the property and sprayed with an inflammatory liquid. There was a strong smell of petrol.

"The occupier knew something was up and when he came to the front door he saw the flames. Only the rubbish was on fire but the flames were a few feet high."

Police are investigating along with the fire service.