A COUPLE and their teenage son were forced to flee their home in the middle of the night after a smouldering cardboard tube was posted through their letterbox.

David and Sirikanda Dunn had just gone to bed at 11.30pm on Friday night (July 22) when their 14-year-old son alerted them to smoke spreading up the stairs.

The fumes were so bad the family had to evacuate their house at Addison Street in Crook, County Durham.

Mr Dunn, 54, said: “I remember hearing the letterbox bang but I didn’t really think anything about it, but then my son who is in the bedroom at the top of the stairs came along and started shouting ‘there is smoke, I can smell smoke’.

"We had the window open so at first I thought it must be a bin on fire or something but he shouted ‘it’s in the house.’ I came out the of the room and couldn’t see for the smoke coming up the stairs.

“We had to get out, the smoke was terrible.”

Thankfully, a fire proof bag had been fitted on the inside of the door several years ago and the flames were quickly suffocated. However, considerable damage was caused to the front door and the family have been left badly shaken.

Police officers attended the scene and took away the remains of a cardboard tube for forensic tests.

Mr Dunn said it appeared as though the tube had been doused in a chemical, although this has not yet been confirmed.

The Dunn family has owned the house in Addison Street for 40 years, with Mr Dunn’s mother the previous occupant.

Frightened a firework might get posted through her door, about ten years ago she asked firefighters to fit the bag which is made of a fire resistant material and is designed to smother flames.

Andy Bruce, manager of Crook Fire Station, said the bags are only issued if a property is deemed to be at risk or a threat has been made towards the homeowner and reported to the police.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service does provide and fit free smoke alarms to all households as part of its Safe and Wellbeing visits. To book, call 0845-223-4221.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police via 101, quoting reference number 560 of July 22, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.