TERRIFIED residents were caught in the crossfire when rival factions of a North-East family started a petrol-bomb fight over a ceramic dog left in an old man's will.

Exploding fire bombs lit up the night sky in a Hartlepool street when jealous relatives went to war over the worthless pot ornament.

Residents in Dent Street yesterday told how they feared for their lives when molotov cocktails were thrown between the warring relatives, some of the bottles exploding against parked cars.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday that the street battle took place on June 10 last year.

The drama unfolded after Trevor Dawes, 20, inherited the pot dog and a pocketwatch following the death of an elderly relative.

A distant cousin, Craig Knighton, 30, heard of the windfall and, feeling aggrieved, threatened violent revenge on Dawes.

The night before the battle, an aunt of Dawes spotted more than 24 petrol-bombs made from lager bottles at his home. At around the same time, his father, Trevor Dunn, 42, went to Middlesbrough police station to warn of the impending trouble.

Yesterday, four men and a teenager pleaded guilty to a affray. Witnesses had been unwilling to give evidence on more serious charges.

Dawes told police he threw one petrol-bomb and that there were others in his house, but he claimed that Knighton had threatened him with a knife.

Peter Sabiston, defending Knighton, told the court: "He is amazed that something like this can result from the ownership of a family piece of pottery that has no material value."

Nigel Wray, defending Dunn, said his client had now disassociated himself from his son. "He was not involved in throwing petrol-bombs, he was nave in his attempts to involve the police and in his attempts to help his son."

Dunn, of Albany Street, Middlesbrough, who had a previous conviction for making a petrol-bomb in 1993, was jailed for two years while his son, Dawes, of York Road, Hartlepool, was jailed for two years and three months.

Knighton, of Firtree Lane, Howden-le-Wear, County Durham, was jailed for 20 months, Dawes' cousin Gavin Lloyd, 21, of Johnson Street, Hartlepool, had his sentence deferred for six months and a 16-year-old was ordered to do 100 hours community punishment and 18 months community rehabilitation.

After the court hearing, residents recalled the horror of that night. One grandmother, who did not want to be named, said: "I couldn't see anyone - just the blinding flashes of fire-bombs in front of my living room window.

"The night was just red with explosions. I can remember the smell of petrol and feeling scared for my grand-bairn who I was looking after. One of them exploded on my van parked outside and I kept on thinking, 'what if one hits the house?'"

Another resident, Ralph Stonehouse, 75, said it was the most terrifying incident he had ever seen. "I was sitting watching the telly when I heard this almighty explosion in front of my house," he said.

"I opened my front door and saw one bloke stripped to his waist with a bloody great iron pole in his hand.

"I looked down the street and he was chasing two younger fellas who I think had just thrown the petrol-bomb."

He added: "This used to be a beautiful street, now I don't even go out."