A young boy died when arsonists turned his home into an inferno, a court heard today.

Dean Pike's body was found by firefighters on the upstairs landing of his home - which no longer had stairs due to the intensity of the heat.

The 11-year-old's heavily pregnant mother Sarah Janine Dodd had already been blown from an upstairs window but survived her ordeal.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the single-mum's two bedroom terraced house in Mordey Close, Deerness Park, Hendon, Sunderland, was set fire to by Neil English, Terry Majinusz and Trevor Gordon, who all lived locally.

Prosecutor Brian Forster QC told the court how emergency services were alerted to the blaze by Miss Dodd herself at ten minutes to one in the morning on June 24 last year.

But the call ended abruptly before she could give the operator her address, probably due to an explosion.

Shocked neighbours were quickly on hand to help but the court heard how by the time a leading fire fighter was able to enter the house, Dean had died.

Mr Forster told the court: "A leading fire fighter climbed a ladder to gain access to the first floor of the house.

"On the upstairs landing he found the body of Dean Pike.

"The body had been seriously burned. No features on the body were disinguishable.

"The boy of course was dead."

The court heard how neighbours trying to help at the scene had described flames "leaping out of all the window" at the height of the blaze.

One who lived across the road said: "The flames seemed to be so intense they appeared to reach across the street and almost made contact with teh sheds at the bottom of our garden."

Another neighbour described the noise from the scene as "a bonfire alight at its highest blaze."

One of the first witnesses on the scene described noises coming from inside the house as the flames lashed out, completely melting the front door.

He said; It sounded like a cat in pain. The noise consisted of two consecutive one second wails and then there was silence."

He then heard the sound of someone having difficulty breathing coming from the rear of the property and found Miss Dodd lying on the ground in the back garden.

Mr Forster said: "She was in distress.

"Burning debris was falling upon her and she was pulled away to safety."

English, of Chester Road, Sunderland, Majinusz, of North Bridge Street, Sunderland, and Gordon, of Redmond Road, Sunderland, all deny murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with itent to endanger life.

The trial continues.