Sidley family escape "arson" attack

Fire crews under Crew Commander Martin Walker who went to a house at Jubilee Road in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday found that a family of three had escaped.

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus got into the house and doused flames in the hallway with a hosereel.

But what they found when they had extinguished the blaze made them call in the police.

Yesterday, Detective Constable Tod Stewart of Rother CID appealed via the Observer for witnesses to the incident to contact him at Bexhill police station on 0845 6070999.

DC Stewart said: "It was at about 20 to one on the morning of the 24th.

"Someone had shoved something on fire through the letterbox.

"It set light to the front door and the hallway.

"Fortunately, the occupants - two adults in their 30s and a child of six - were woken by the smoke alarm and made their way out of the property or it could have been a potentially lethal situation.

"Police have made house-to-house enquiries in the area.

"One person, a local female in her 30s, has been arrested and interviewed. She has been released on bail pending further investigations. We are awaiting the results of the forensic examination.

"Another female is still outstanding.

"This was a potentially lethal situation. The front door was burnt. There is damage to the hallway and smoke-damage to the rooms."