A BOY aged just 10 has appeared in court and admitted setting fire to a family house.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted a charge of arson when he appeared at Preston Crown Court yesterday .

The court heard that the boy had been seen by witnesses in Colwyn Street, Blackburn, at about 1.25pm on September 8, walking down the road carrying paper and a cigarette lighter.

He was then seen to run up to the front door of a house , light the paper and push it through the letterbox before running off.

Shocked witnesses called the fire brigade, who tackled the blaze before it could spread through the property, which was empty at the time of the arson.

The house is owned by a Mr Ahmed Patel who lives there with his family.

The court was told that there appeared to be no motive for the attack but that the boy had told police after his arrest that somebody had dared him to set fire to a house.

Sentencing the youngster, Judge Andrew Smith said: "This is a serious matter but mercifully the fire did not spread.

"The boy had no previous criminal record and I can take a merciful view."

He ordered that the case should be transferred to the youth court at Blackburn where the boy will be given a referral order.

The order means he will go before a panel of youth workers and members of the public, who will decide his punishment.