A BLAZE, which gutted the flat of a newly-wed couple, was accidental and not the work of arsonists, firefighters said today.

Dawn Carter, 31, and her husband Andy, 30, suspected fire bombers had thrown something through the window of their home in Joe Connolly Way, Waterfoot, to spark the blaze last Tuesday.

They found a hole in the window of the room where the blaze started and all the other windows were cracked.

The couple also claimed they were the victims of a vendetta, with the fire being the third distressing incident to have happened to them in the last two months.

Their home has been raided and vandalised by burglars and Dawn was punched and kicked by a man who attacked her as she put out some rubbish late at night.

But Rawtenstall fire station sub officer Alan Richards said today their investigations had revealed nothing to suggest it was an arson attack.

He said he was completing the fire report form today and added: "It only requires me to say a supposed cause and a most likely one.

"There is no evidence to suggest something was thrown through the window and the cause will go down as accidental, most likely to have been started by smoking materials."

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