Fear over arsons in Hull neighbourhood after woman taken to hospital

A man whose mother was trapped when someone started a fire at her home has spoken out against arson in light of another incident in the neighbourhood.

Darren Dixon, said his elderly mother had to be rescued by neighbours when an unknown thug pushed her wheelie bin in front of her front door and set fire to it at 4am last month. Today, a woman was taken to hospital "suffering smoke inhalation" after a suspicious shed fire at 5:56am.

Both incidents happened in the Arundel Close and Victor Street area, off Holderness Road in east Hull. Darren told Hull Live that he fears for other residents and believes they should be "on their guard".

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He said: "My mother has dementia so she has somebody there with her all the time. I got a phone call at about 4 o'clock in the morning saying there's been a fire so I shot down there in the car. The neighbours had to basically get my mother out.

"Someone had put a wheelie bin in front of her front door and set it alight. It's crazy. We spoke to a housing officer at the time and she said there'd been eight fires in the last month."

Darren claimed the person who set fire to his mother's house was in the process of starting a fire at another property across the road when they were disturbed by the neighbours and ran away. The same neighbours managed to rescue his mother through the back door.

His mother's house was badly damaged by smoke and she has not been able to move back. For now, she is staying with family and will move into a different home.

Darren added: "I just want to warn people what is going on because they need to be on their guard because there is some idiot going around. He believes residents should chain their wheelie bins securely with a padlock to deter arsonists.

In its report of the fire in Arundel Close today, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: "Fire involving brick outbuilding attached to domestic property. One adult female suffering smoke inhalation in care of paramedics and transported to hospital via ambulance.

"Outbuilding and porch completely destroyed by fire and light smoke damage to ground floor of property. Two BA, one hose reel, Thermal Image Camera and gas detection in use. Incident left with Police and Ambulance Service."

Humberside Police have been approached for comment.