Police today appealed for witnesses after an arson attack at a property in Headington in the early hours.

Sometime before 2am, the front door of a flat in Old High Street was set alight.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service crew Manager Shaun Betts said the man in the flat raised the alarm himself after hearing the alarm go off.

He added: "The fire was not large, but generated a lot of toxic smoke which had the potential to be fatal.

"He was rescued by a ladder from the window by fire crews. He was suffering from smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital by paramedics.

"This goes to show that working smoke detectors in the home do save lives."

Det Con Matt Welsh, of Oxford CID, said: “We are not sure what time the fire was started. We would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area of Somerfield or the corner of Old High Street and London Road last night or in the small hours of today.

“A group of young women were seen in the area earlier on and we would particularly like to trace them.”

Det Con Welsh can be contacted via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you don’t want to talk to police and don’t want to leave your name, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.