Family's terror as home firebombed (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Family's terror as home firebombed

6:18am Wednesday 11th June 2008 in

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A mum today told of her terror as her house was firebombed while she and her children slept.

Paula Johnson and two of her children, aged five and nine, were woken at 1.30am yesterday after a brick, followed by the petrol bomb, were thrown through the living room window of their home in Ringwood Road, Canterbury, Bradford.

Their next-door neighbour, Nikita Parada, 16, who also heard the glass being broken, ran outside to discover the fire and frantically banged on the front door to rouse the family.

Describing the scene as she ran downstairs Miss Johnson said: "I heard the smash, and Nikita banging and I came running down the stairs. My nine-year-old Alisha was following me, we were terrified.

"The sofa was on fire and the flames were five foot high.

"She came to the kitchen with me to try to get some water and the fire brushed her side, she could have been seriously hurt."

Miss Johnson managed to put the fire out before the bomb, made from a milk bottle and a burning rag, exploded.

She said: "I put it out with water out of the mop bucket - I was just in time.

"Nikita was really helpful. I wanted to thank her again later but she'd gone to school. We're very lucky."

Miss Johnson, who also has a 13-year-old daughter who was not in the house at the time, said nothing like this had happened in the five years she had lived there.

She was planning to move house next year but is now seeking a place of safety in fear of further attacks, she said.

"If one of the children's windows went through it could kill them," she said.

"You can't be too careful when there are children in the house."

Nikita said she looked out of her window after hearing the window being broken to see a car speeding away at 1.30am.

She said: "I ran outside and looked through Paula's window and there were huge flames in the lounge.

"I was banging and screaming really loud so they would wake up.

"Paula came down the stairs with her daughter and put the fire out, and then she opened the door so I could get in. I ran and grabbed the children and took them outside.

"They were all half asleep and didn't seem to know what was going on really.

"I stood outside with them until about 4.30am and spoke to the police."

Despite the drama Nikita was up at 7am yesterday to take her GCSE English exam at Buttershaw High School.

A West Yorkshire Fire Service spokesman said: "The house was full of children, and they were very fortunate that the petrol bomb didn't smash.

"If it had it would have spread very quickly and they are very hard to put out."

An ambulance spokesman said three crews were initially sent to the scene although no-one had to be treated.

Police have appealed for witnesses to the attack.

Detective Inspector Noel Devine said: "Luckily the victim discovered the fire and put it out before it took hold.

"It could have caused a lot of damage and someone could have been hurt."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman added: "We are supporting an application for Miss Johnson to be re-homed but we are not putting her into a safe house.

"For the moment there will be increased patrols in the area by the local neighbourhood policing officers."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det Insp Devine at Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606.