A TEENAGER has been hailed a hero after alerting his sleeping family to an arson attack on their home.

Bilal Aly, 19, was woken by the smell of smoke shortly after 6.30am yesterday and quickly realised the front door was on fire.

Quick-thinking student Bilal rushed to wake up his brother Jamal, 12, sister Hajra, 14, and parents Riyasat and Safiya, both 48, before attempting to calm the flames with thick blankets.

Mr Aly said of his son: “Bilal saved our lives and he is a real hero.

“I don’t want to think about what could have happened if he had not woken up when he did.”

The fire brigade arrived at the terraced house in Manor Street, Accrington, shortly after the fire had been brought under control and the family-of-five had got out.

Police are investigating the incident which is being treated as suspicious.

Mr Aly said both sides of the front door had been engulfed in flames which had started to encroach into the house.

Bilal, who is studying at Burnley College, said: “I woke up because I smelt smoke and there was a smell of burning plastic and petrol coming from downstairs.

“Once I realised what was going on I ran around trying to wake everybody up.

“I got some blankets and tried to control the fire before it spread further into the house.

“Once the fire was out I saw that there was a box outside by the door that could have contained petrol.

“I feel very lucky that I woke up when I did and I’m relieved that everybody is ok.

“It was a terrifying experience for everyone and things could have been a lot worse if I had not woken up.”

Mr Aly, who works at Express Deli Pizza in Blackburn Road, said: “We are all still in shock about what happened and we don’t know why this has happened to us.

“Nothing like this has ever happened before and I have no idea who it could be.

“My family are afraid because we don’t know if anything else is going to happen.”

A spokesman for the fire service said: “The incident in Manor Street is being treated as suspicious and Lancashire Police are investigating it.

“Two crews were sent to the scene shortly before 7am on Sunday and we remained on the scene until after the police arrived and the fire was extinguished.”