An elderly woman was woken by the smell of burning plastic when arsonists set alight a wheelie bin underneath her archway flat.The fire brigade said the fire in Ebor Court, Selby, had been started deliberately.

A pool of melted plastic is all that remains of the wheelie bin, and the 10ft flames have left a black trail on the brickwork and wooden ceiling, causing nearly £500 damage.

Mother-of-two Claire Sandham, 23, said it was the fourth time wheelie bins had been set alight in the two years she had lived there.

Miss Sandham said: "I heard laughing but normally you get a lot of noise from the snooker club and the Maltings. We just thought it was some kids walking past."

Her boyfriend Stuart Howard, 23, threw water on the blaze at around 1am on Saturday before the fire brigade arrived.

On previous occasions the bins have been dragged into the middle of the road but this time the fire was directly underneath the elderly woman's bedroom.

Stanley Abel, 75, another neighbour, said that the woman had smelt the smoke while she was in bed and had come downstairs in her dressing gown.

Mr Abel then called the fire brigade.

He said: "The flames were up to the roof, you can see where it is black. It is a bit worrying actually."

PC John Wardell, of Selby Police, said: "This was a very serious incident which could have led to loss of life.

"If it was a prank, if it was mindless vandalism. It doesn't matter what it was. At the end of the day the elderly occupant was put at severe risk."

A spate of Wheelie bin fires in the Charles Street area of Selby caused concern at the end of last year.

On one occasion flames burnt through a gas main and caused a major leak which could easily have led to an explosion.

Police are looking into Saturday's incident and would appeal for anyone with any information to contact Selby Police on (01757) 702596.

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