A MAN escaped jail today despite torching his mother's house.

John Paul Meads, 21, was sentenced to a two-year community supervision order at Durham Crown Court.

The court heard he visited Doreen Meads' house in Lilac Court, Shildon, County Durham, and used matches to set fire to a newspaper sticking out of the letter box.

He then wrote 'Aye, aye Doz, har har har JP' on a board covering a broken window and left.

Deborah Sherwin, prosecuting, said: "Mrs Meads left her home to go to her sisters but when she returned she found fire brigade there.

"He said he didn't know categorically whether anyone was in there or not."

Meads of Main Street, Shildon, previously pleased guilty to arson on July 30.

The court heard he had an unhappy relationship with his mother and had spent much of his childhood in care.

Sentencing him Judge Christopher Prince told him: "You have a deep seated resentment for your mother, which you are going to have to learn to address.

"This was entirely unsophisticated and you left for her that could have only come from you. You signed your message.

"Lives of fire officers are put at risk when you set fires."