POLICE this afternoon appealed for witnesses after a suspected arson attack in Banbury.
At 4.15am yesterday, police were contacted by the fire service reporting that a sofa had been set alight outside an address in Cromwell Road.
Seven people inside the house, including two young children, aged six and nine, had to be evacuated.
Det Con Jason Simpson, of Banbury CID, said: "The fire caused damage to the inside of the address.
"Thankfully nobody was injured but one of the children was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
"This could have had more serious consequences and I appeal to anyone who has information about how the fire started to contact police immediately.
"A person was seen in the proximity of the property shortly before the fire. It is not known if it was a man or a woman but they were wearing a blue hooded top, dark denim jeans and were quite tall and slim. If you saw this person or know who it is please get in touch."
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Banbury CID via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don't want to speak to police and don't want to leave your name contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article