A TEENAGER who petrol-bombed a family home after a long-running campaign of harassment has been locked up for six years and given a lifetime ban from approaching the owners.

Thomas Craig, 19, left his victims, Lee Johnson, his partner Lisa and their two children, terrified and traumatised by the attack on their home in Deerstone Avenue, Burnley.

A judge said he had come ‘as close as it’s possible to get’ to a life sentence for the attack.

As the Johnsons tried to put out the blaze with bowls of water, their 10-year-old child shouted, "I don't want to die”, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Craig, who had convictions for common assault and damage against Mr Johnson, had targeted the victim and his family for two years after an incident between Lisa Johnson and the defendant's parents, who were neighbours.

On the day of the offence he had been to a garage to buy petrol, filled a plastic bottle and then threw it at the victims' front door.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told the defendant: "It was a petrol bomb and very obvious and significant danger was caused."

She said it would no doubt take the Johnsons a long time to get over what happened.

The judge, who said she had had to consider whether Craig was dangerous, said: "It's a dire thing indeed to have to declare somebody of 19 a dangerous offender and jail them for life. On balance, I am not going to do that, but you have come as close as it's possible to get."

The defendant, of Kay Gardens, Burnley, had admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and was sent to a young offenders' institution.

He was also given a lifetime restraining order, banning him from going to the victims' home or contacting them.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said Mr Johnson said Craig had been causing problems for about two years every time he got drunk. He would bang on the door, threaten to petrol bomb the house and put windows through.

Last November, another neighbour saw Craig behind a privet hedge with a two litre bottle. He then went up the Johnsons' path and she then saw a large flame coming from something in the defendant's hand. It was so big it went above his head.

She thought he was going to set the house on fire and called the police and fire brigade.

Mr Parker said Lisa Johnson saw a bright orange glow from her lounge. The front door was on fire, a plastic bottle was on the doorstep and a man was running away.

Mr Johnson and his partner tried to put the flames out and the fire brigade arrived and put the rest of the blaze out. Police attended and found Lisa Johnson shocked, visibly shaking and worried for her family's safety.

Craig handed himself into the police station the next day. He was questioned and denied the incident. He said he had been out watching football, had had a lot to drink and couldn't remember much after that except waking up with a banging headache.

Richard Taylor, for Craig, said he was under no illusions he would get a lengthy sentence and his best mitigation was his guilty plea and his age.

Mr Taylor said: "This was an ill-considered, ill-conceived and misguided idea of protecting his mother."

“He is absolutely terrified now at the prospect of what could have happened and he did not give any consideration to that at the time.

"He is certainly not proud of himself and he has shown a great deal of shame."