FIREFIGHTERS believe arsonists may have put a man's life at risk by setting fire to a property in South Bank.

The fire broke out in a first floor bedsit, in Napier Street, at about 4.30am on Saturday.

The only occupant of the building, a man in his early 20s living in an adjacent bedsit on the same floor, managed to escape the blaze. The bedsit where the fire started was left severely damaged.

There was moderate smoke damage to the remainder of the first floor and to the ground floor of the building.

Grangetown station manager Paul Beeforth said: "There was one resident in at the time of the fire and he managed to escape out of the front door before we arrived.

"Investigations are being carried out by police and firefighters as we believe the fire may have been started deliberately.

"We have problems with arson in the whole of South Bank. We have put out fires at this property previously but they were all accidental fires.

"This is what we believe to be the first deliberate attempt."