Family-of-six flee arson attack at Bradford home

A 16-month-old baby boy had to be passed to safety over a back garden fence as the fire raged, with fears the vehicle involved might explode at any moment.

Fairweather Green firefighters were called to the mid-terraced house in Estcourt Road, Lidget Green, at 1am today and found a ten-year-old Volkswagen Golf ablaze on the driveway.

One of the car's side windows had been broken and a front door was wide open.

A sofa and furniture piled in the garden nearby had also caught fire with such force that the heat badly damaged windows and the front door of the house.

The scene of the blaze in Estcourt Road, Lidget Green

The occupant, who would only give his name as Mr Hussain, was in the house with his wife and four children and was woken by the fire.

He called emergency services before escaping with the help of neighbours, including Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Aneela Ahmed, to whom he passed his baby son over the back fence.

"It was very frightening. We've lived here for 11 years and I've never experienced anything like this before," he said.

"The fireman go here as quickly as they could and saved the house from catching on fire. I went out and thanked them personally afterwards."

He said how at one point he opened the front door to look at the car, when suddenly there was an explosion.

"I shut the door very quickly."

"Our neighbours were fantastic and all came out to help, especially Abid and Aneela Ahmed who helped our children over the back fence and took them to safety," he said.

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Mrs Ahmed, who works in a West Yorkshire Ambulance Service call centre, has lived on the corner of Estcourt Road for 24 years.

She said: "We heard an explosion and I just ran up the street and banged on the door of the house next door who must have heard me screaming at them to get out.

"Then we went into the back garden and the father helped get his children over the fence to us and passed me his baby.

"We took them, and the young people next door, down to our house for safety.

"It was very shocking and scary.

"The pavement was on fire with burning liquid and we didn't know if the car was diesel or petrol, so I was really fearful it might blow up.

Abid and Aneela Ahmed who helped rescue the family

Mrs Ahmed, who is standing as Labour's candidate in the City ward in this week's Bradford Council elections, added: "Estcourt Road is a lovely street where people are proud to live and everybody came out to help last night.

"People are proud to live here - we have a community garden at the end of the road where we had a Golden Jubilee party for the Queen."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said an arson investigation was under way and officers had carried out house-to-house inquiries in the cul-de-sac this morning.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police on 101.