A MOTHER who deliberately set fire to her own home in Burnley after a row with her partner was told she could have killed her three-year-old daughter and neighbours.

Police arrived to find Tara Sharrock, 23, stood at an upstairs window with her daughter and thick black smoke billowing out of the property in Richmond Street, the town’s crown court was told.

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Sharrock and her little girl, who has not been named, escaped unharmed from the blaze on September 5 last year.

But the court heard the incident caused damage totalling £10,000 to the rented property, for which landlord Julie Cox was not insured.

Sharrock, who admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, was jailed for two years.

Passing sentence, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “It could have resulted in the death of not only your daughter and yourself but other people living along that terrace.”

Defence counsel Jeremy Coleman said: “There was no accelerant present, which may indicate pre-planning. She is a lady of good character who has had a difficult childhood, where there is a background of her parents taking drugs.

“When she was of a young age she had to take responsibility for other siblings. She was removed to foster care aged 13 but then leaves aged 15.

“On one view it could be said that the social services system have not handled her care through her teenage years very well, when it may have been much more constructive.”

The court heard the incident began when police were flagged down by Sharrock’s then-partner in the street, with him claiming she had tried to punch him and had fallen through a window.

An officer went back to their home with Sharrock and she alleged it was him who had attacked her. The officer noticed she had been drinking and advised her to clean herself up so her three-year-old daughter would not be concerned.

Prosecutors said the officer then left the house to speak with the partner - but when he returned he saw thick black smoke coming from Sharrock’s home.

Sharrock, who had been standing at a window with her daughter, was shouting for help and she was later led to safety. Initially she tried to claim that her boyfriend had torched the house but he had been with the police at the time.

Later a report by fire investigators would reveal that they could not establish exactly what had caused the blaze but it appeared to have been started with a naked flame.

Mr Recorder Blakey added: “You clearly had problems in the past, from an early age in relation to your family, which have been identified. It may be that has something to do with the alcohol and cannabis that you have been taking.”