A young couple's home was severely damaged in an arson attack which may have put paid to their wedding plans.

Mother-of-two Helen James, 21, was distraught as she picked her way through charred remains of furniture and belongings at the two-bedroomed terraced house in North Drive, Didcot, in the early hours of today (Tuesday, August 25) with partner Gary Kerr.

Police and a fire brigade investigation officer were at the scene today (Tuesday) and police said they believe the fire may have been started deliberately.

The South Oxfordshire District Housing Association property is next to Vauxhall Barracks where patrolling Ministry of Defence police had raised the alarm at midnight because of smoke from the back of the house.

Fortunately, Ms James and her daughters Charlotte, two-and-a-half, and Mayzie(OK), aged five months, were away at the time, staying at the home of her parents in Henley while they are abroad for their silver wedding anniversary.

Ms James, who turned up with Mr Kerr, 19, after police notified the couple about the fire said: "We were due to get married next month. I don't know what will happen now." The blaze which destroyed most of the furniture and belongings on the ground floor was so hot that it melted a television set upstairs, said fire brigade sub-officer Grahame Davis.

The couple have only been courting for months and Ms James who has lived at North Drive for three years said they were now waiting to learn if the housing association will rehouse them.

MoD police also alerted neighbours Georgina Connolly and her son Christopher Connolly and his girlfriend Lorraine Hamblin, who had all gone to bed.

Mrs Connolly said she had noticed a smell of smoke which she though was caused by a garden bonfire. They escaped as smoke filtered through from the roof void, causing extensive smoke damage upstairs.

Along with neighbours, Mrs Connolly was able to tell firefighters that Ms James and her family were away for the day, although Mr Connolly and his girlfriend banged the doors of the end-of-terrace house in case the family had returned.

Sub-officer Davis said fire crews from Didcot and Abingdon used a thermal imaging camera to help them search the house as they tackled the fire.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.