A 38-YEAR-OLD woman has been warned that she is going to jail for setting fire to her former partner's Bradford home.

Tammy-Anne Rhodes caused serious damage to the house in Hawes Avenue, Wibsey, and recklessly endangered the lives of neighbours when she used her cigarette lighter to start a blaze in the pantry at around 8pm on September 22 last year.

Rhodes was banned from going to the semi-detached property by a restraining order after her relationship with the owner, Sharif Gawad, broke down.

But she got drunk and went to the house to burgle it, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Rhodes wept in the dock after just being informed by her barrister, Allan Armbrister, that Mr Gawad had since died in Greece of natural causes.

She had been held in custody since the offence.

Rhodes, of Stuart Court, Swarland Grove, Holme Top, Bradford, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether property would be destroyed or damaged and being reckless as to whether the life of another would be endangered.

She also admitted burglary with intent to steal at the unoccupied house on the same day.

Mr Gawad's next door neighbour, Amy Mitchell, heard a succession of loud bangs coming from the house at around 7.40pm.

At 8pm, she was alerted by a neighbour knocking on her door that there was a fire at the adjoining property.

Ms Mitchell, her partner and son left the house and saw smoke issuing from next door and the fire service in attendance.

Fire investigators found that the blaze had been started in the pantry, near to the electric supply.

Rhodes was found by the police on Thornton Lane, Little Horton, with a red lighter in her hand.

She made no comment to all questions put to her by the police.

Mr Armbrister told the court that she was in drink at the time she started the fire.

"This is going to be an immediate custodial sentence. She realises that," he said.

Judge Peter Benson ordered a probation report to assess the danger Rhodes posed to the community.

He adjourned the case to March 7 at Leeds Crown Court, where he will be sitting at that time.

Judge Benson told Rhodes: "You must understand that a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case."

He said the case may be adjourned further on the next occasion if he decides that a psychiatric report is needed.