A HUSBAND has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately setting fire to his house with his wife inside.

Peter Bolton, 63, of Burnley Road, Cliviger, was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning and was later released on bail.

The Force Major Incident Team have taken on the inquiry and forensically examined the house while fire investigators carried out their work.

Fire crews were called to reports of a house fire with a woman, Geraldine ‘Ged’ Bolton, 58, trapped in a first floor bedroom of the stone built terrace at 5.30am.

Watch manager Dave Robinson said Mrs Bolton was dressed in her night clothes and screaming for help from the first floor bedroom window when crews arrived.

They had to smash through the wooden front door as the house keys were in the lock on the inside.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued the woman from the upstairs bedroom.

Mr Robinson said her husband was outside the property when they arrived.

He said: “There were several seats of fire, the majority of which were on the ground floor.

“The major seat of fire was on the stairs which was blocking the woman’s escape.

“There wasn’t a lot of smoke and fortunately she was still conscious. We were able to force entry and get her out.”

Mrs Bolton was taken in an ambulance to hospital.

On Saturday morning a police officer was guarding the front door which had been smashed in.

The couple’s dog sat quietly on the living room floor, waiting to be picked up by a neighbour.

Residents said the couple were retired.

One neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said: “They are a lovely couple and are good friends of mine.

“There were a lot of sirens and everything was chaotic.

“By the time I went out to see what was going on I could see Ged. She seemed OK, but was suffering from smoke inhalation and went to hospital.”

Insp Dave Clarke said: “The incident is being treated as suspicious and we are investigating.

“We arrested a 63-year-old man from the local area on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

“A 58-year-old woman was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.”

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