TWO sisters and their former boyfriends recklessly put lives at risk when they conspired to burn down a house in an insurance con, a court has heard.

Neighbours heard a loud bang when the house in Cumberland Avenue, Clayton-le-Moors was torched using an accelerant in April 2014, Burnley Crown Court.

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It is alleged that Samuel Todd, 26, and Ryan Ibbitson, 21, had started the fire after conspiring with their then partners, sisters Kira and Natasha Housby.

All four deny conspiring to commit arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered and a second charge of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

However Todd, of Spencer Street, Accrington, and Ibbitson, of Colthurst Drive, Clitheroe admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis, something both Housby sisters deny.

The court heard that Natasha had been a tenant in Cumberland Avenue since February 2012 and lived there with Todd.

Judith McCullough, prosecuting, said at 4am on April 13, 2014, Todd contacted police to say there had been a burglary at the house.

Officers found the gate had been forced open and the intruder had got in through a window before scratching ‘thieving scum. I’m going to burn you down’ into a TV and sticking knives into sofas.

But Miss McCullough told the court the burglary was staged and that Todd had been seen climbing through the window.

She said: “The scene was now set for the next stage of the plan.

“Natasha Housby took out an insurance policy with AXA to cover the contents of the house at 2.06am on April 14.

“She along with Todd and Ibbitson were seen to throw around 35 or 40 bin liners in to a Vauxhall Astra on April 14.”

That same day Natasha moved in to her sister’s home in Colthurst Drive, Clitheroe which she shared with Ibbitson, along with Todd and their children. Natasha now lives in Spencer Street, Accrington.

The court heard that around 2am on April 15, witness Stephen Pearson was smoking a cigarette in his home which overlooks the home when he saw Todd. He also saw a second man outside.

Mr McCullough said: “As Mr Pearson watched he saw someone pour something through the window and set it alight with a lighter.”

The court heard that another neighbour Christine Crook was awoken by a large bang.

CCTV from her house showed two figures running away carrying a petrol can. The court heard she recognised one of the figures as Todd.

The court was told Mr Pearson also told the police that within 15 minutes of the fire starting he saw Todd in a neighbour’s garden with a second man. He also said the men fitted the description of the figures he had seen at the house minutes earlier.

Todd, of Spencer Street, Accrington told a neighbour that he had been in Clitheroe when the fire had started but when questioned about how he got there so quickly he didn’t reply.

The prosecution said fire crews were called to the house in the early hours of April 15.

Firefighters, who spent four hours at the scene, noticed a trail of footprints leading to woodland and as they followed it they found a man’s shoe stuck in the mud.

A senior fire investigator found that accelerants had been used and the hob had been left on.

Todd and Ibbitson were both arrested and the later smelt of accelerant, the court heard.

Police then went to Colthurst Drive where they found cannabis plants with a street value of £5,000 in a shed, the prosecutor said.

A bin bag was also found, which contained a single boot matching the one found in the woodland, as well as clothes which had been damaged by fire.

The prosecution alleges Todd told witness Carl Sumner to buy the exact same pair of shoes and ‘muddy them up’ so he would have an alibi for his missing shoe.

All the defendant’s claimed to be sleeping at the time the house was torched, but the court heard the cellular signal evidence showed that Todd and Ibbitson were moving between Clayton-le-Moors and Clitheroe.

Miss McCullough said that text message communications between Kira, now of Selby Close, Accrington and Ibbitson show that she was aware of the plan to set fire to the house.

When asked why the insurance policy had been taken out Todd said he was advised to by the police after the break-in, the court heard.

Miss McCullough added: “The prosecution say this as an insurance scam designed for them to receive a substantial financial pay out.”

The trial continues.