POLICE interviewed residents on a Stokesley housing estate this week after a family was apparently targeted in an arson attack.

Fire swept through the Allen Grove home of Mr Richard Wilson, partner Mrs Pat Gunn and her nine-year old daughter, Jodie, early last Friday morning. Another daughter, Stacey, lives elsewhere.

The family escaped after being woken by neighbours about 2.20am, but the blaze badly damaged their home and cut the electricity supply to another 20 properties.

The fire apparently started at the back door by the kitchen. It blew out ground floor windows as it spread inside and destroyed an overhead power cable, which subsequently collapsed, hitting a passer-by, and cut the supply to other homes. The passer-by declined treatment.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Wilson said his family was in deep shock and could have been killed.

"The end of the house was burning like a rocket. When the windows blew out we didn't know if we would escape. But we managed to get out thanks to the help from our neighbours. It is miraculous that nobody was hurt."

"It was Jodie's ninth birthday and we were planning a birthday party on Friday. That was cancelled," Mr Wilson added.

Emergency accommodation is being arranged but the family stayed with neighbours this week.

Neighbour Mr John Adams said: "I ran outside and saw the end of the house was well alight. One neighbour banged on the door to waken the family while another called the fire brigade."

Firefighters from Stokesley and Coulby Newham rushed to the house when the alarm was raised by neighbours. They said the exterior location and time of the blaze indicated arson.

Station officer Paul McIntosh said the family was very lucky to escape. There was no smoke alarm inside the house, which could have alerted them earlier.

Insp Mark Davies, of Stokesley police, said: "This is being treated as a suspicious incident. The fire appears to have been started outside the back door, rather than inside, and at a time when everybody was asleep. We are still trying to establish exactly how it started."

Det Sgt Peter Walker of Northallerton CID said nearly 40 households around Allen Grove were visited by officers.

"We have interviewed a lot of residents, but we are still looking for more witnesses and information. Neighbours are very upset about this attack and concerned about the motive behind it. They couldn't understand why the family would be put in such grave danger."

He was unable to give any information about what materials or chemicals were lighted at the back door.

He urged anyone with information about the incident to call Northallerton CID at the North Yorkshire Police headquarters on 01609 783131