Suspected Arson in Rochdale

Date published: 10 September 2004

Detectives in Rochdale are appealing for information following a suspected arson attack on a house in Smallbridge in the early hours of this morning, Friday 10 September 2004.

At around 3.50am the occupants of a house on Cook Street woke up to find the ground floor of their house on fire and smoke rising up through to their bedrooms.

The 26-year-old woman and her 23-year-old husband awoke their 2-year-old daughter and ran to the nearest window at the front of the house. They attracted the attention of a passer-by who stood underneath the window and caught the little girl as they threw her to safety.

The wife and her husband also jumped out of the window and the woman broke her leg in the fall. All three were taken to Rochdale Infirmary where they were treated for smoke inhalation, the child and her father did not suffer any further injuries.

Detective Inspector Martin Jeffs said, "This family have been really lucky to have escaped such a blaze with relatively minor injuries. They were also extremely fortunate that a man was walking down the road at the right time to catch their daughter.

"An investigation into the fire is underway but it is believed that a settee outside the front of the property was set alight which spread through to the ground floor of the house."

"If anyone has any information as to how the fire started they are asked to contact Rochdale CID on 0161 856 8543 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."