An Arson Task Force will go through West Bowling streets to clean up rubbish which has been dumped dangerously close to homes after a couple had a lucky escape from a fire which spread to their home from a ginnel.

Flames and toxic smoke spread from a heap of rubbish in the ginnel beside the couple’s back-to-back home in Woodroyd Road and they were only woken when firefighters forced their way into the rented property’s front door, shortly after midnight yesterday.

The alarm had initially been raised by the relative of a neighbour, who had also been fast asleep in the adjoining house. The neighbour said: “My uncle was watching TV downstairs when he smelled smoke. It was coming fast into our house and he realised there was a fire next door so he got us up and rang for help “We’ve been worried about the alley being used as a dumping ground for some time and had tried to get the people responsible for leaving it there to move it, but nothing happened. We even pulled some of it out of the way ourselves. You see this kind of dumping going on in a lot of alleys round here, people just don’t think about how dangerous it can be.”

Odsal Fire Station watch manager Richard Hall warned that piling rubbish and unwanted furniture next to homes could cost lives.

“People have got to get the message, although we say it time and time again. It doesn’t seem to get through until people experience the hazard of it themselves – but for some people that could be too late.

“We’ve alerted the Arson Task Force and want them to come and move any rubbish they spot in alleyways that could be a risk to properties and lives. There are some people who think it’s fun to start rubbish fires, we don’t want to leave them any temptation.”

A police spokesman said officers were investigating the Woodroyd Road incident and anyone with information should contact 0845 6060606.

The man and a woman in the back-to-back were asleep upstairs until the fire crew broke down the front door.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus told the couple to stay in the bedroom until they had put out the blaze. They were then escorted out to safety where paramedics gave them oxygen therapy. Neither needed to go to hospital.

Odsal Fire Station watch manager Andy Mason said the couple had luck on their side: “It looks as though someone came a lot and threw a match. We keep warning people not to pile up rubbish and unwanted furniture near their homes but the message doesn’t always get through.

“Another ten minutes and we could have had a tragedy on our hands – a smoke detector was not fitted in the house. The couple were blissfully unaware of what was happening downstairs until they heard us coming through the door.”

The downstairs of the house was badly smoke-damaged, especially the front room.

The district’s Arson Task Force – a partnership between West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Team, Bradford Council’s cleansing department, its environmental task force and street wardens to tackle fly-tipping and bad housekeeping – can be contacted by the public on (01274) 431000.

Yesterday, firefighters were back at the scene dropping leaflets through doors urging neighbours to take up a home safety check and get smoke detectors fitted for free.