A dad who set his house on fire after trying to hang himself has been locked up indefinitely.

Michael Cordingley was branded a public danger by a judge after he set fire to the settee at the family home and lay in bed waiting to die.

He pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The father-of-two phoned his girlfriend's mother just before Christmas threatening to burn down his home, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Cordingley, 27, decided to end it all after drinking heavily and looking at photographs of his estranged family, prosecutor John Bull told the court.

Police and fire officers arrived to find smoke pouring from the semi-detached house in Damon Avenue, Ravenscliffe, Bradford. Cordingley had to be rescued from the back bedroom.

He told police he set fire to the settee and got into bed waiting to die.

Cordingley was on licence and tagged after his early release from a four-year jail sentence for causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He had been sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court for stamping on a man's head.

Cordingley was released in October last year, just weeks before he set the house on fire between December 21 and 22.

He had already been questioned about an alleged assault on his partner Cheryl Fitzpatrick, Mr Bull said.

Miss Fitzpatrick had moved to her mother Diane's home, taking the couple's two young children.

Cordingley, on a home detention curfew order to the Damon Avenue address, was alone in the property on December 21.

At 11pm, he rang Diane Fitzpatrick saying if Cheryl did not call back in three minutes he would burn down the house.

He rang again at midnight making the same threat and Mrs Fitzpatrick rang the police and fire service.

After he was rescued, Cordingley told the emergency services: "Why didn't you leave me there? I just want to die."

Mr Bull said a Christmas party was being held next door. The property was undamaged and no one was hurt.

Jonathan Gibson, for Cordingley, said he was under severe emotional stress after the break-up of his relationship and made a genuine effort to kill himself. He tried to hang himself with a hairdrier flex, and when that snapped he started the fire.

He told police: "I never meant to hurt anyone else, just to get rid of myself."

Judge Roger Scott sentenced Cordingley to an indeterminate jail term for public protection. He must serve a minimum of two and a half years before being considered for parole.