A MAN who set four separate fires to houses close to his own home will be treated indefinitely in hospital after a judge heard he is a risk to himself and the public.

Andrew Derbyshire's autism means he does not comprehend danger like others do, and he did not see the peril in his arson attacks in Stanley, County Durham.

Within the space of an hour in the early hours of February 14 last year, the 22-year-old started four fires on the Poet's Estate, a court was told.

A wheelie bin was set alight and pushed up to the front door of a bungalow on Joicey Gardens, while an old sofa which had been left out in the street for collection was destroyed in another attack.

Teesside Crown Court heard that an 84-year-old woman was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation as precaution, but was unharmed.

Another bin fire was put out by the occupant who heard Derbyshire outside of her property at about 3.40am, said prosecutor Paul Newcombe.

She said in a statement: "I now live in constant fear at night that some damage may occur to my home or that I may come to harm through fire. I did feel there was a very real risk to my life."

Mr Newcombe told Judge Howard Crowson that the blaze at the bungalow melted the bin, and investigators said it was lucky the occupant had woken up as toxic fumes from the plastic could have killed him.

In January, Derbyshire was deemed unfit to plead and could not give evidence in his defence. That meant the jury could not record a verdict of 'guilty' and he could not go to jail.

Instead, Judge Crowson ordered that doctors' reports are compiled to determine whether Derbyshire should be treated in hospital or if he can be looked after in the community.

A consultant psychiatrist told the judge: "Andrew has got some difficulties that have been long since understood by his family, and they have done everything in their power to support him, guide him and help him. But the services have not been there to support him which has resulted in this very dangerous set of convictions, and without help he could be a direct risk to the public."

Judge Crowson said: "There are two factors which convince me it is necessary [to have an indefinite hospital order]. Firstly, it was the persistence of the offending on that night, which, mercifully, did not have tragic consequences. One came very close to a tragedy.

"There is also the evidence from the doctors who say, unfortunately, Andrew Derbyshire does not see risk in the same way others do, and does not contemplate the grave danger in which he places other people, and also puts him at significant risk."

Derbyshire, of Cheviot Terrace in South Stanley, was found to have committed one charge of attempted arson with intent to endanger life, one actual arson with attempt to endanger life, one count of arson and one of damaging property by fire. However he was cleared of another, fifth alleged arson and a sixth count had already been dropped.