A family whose home was set alight by arsonists escaped the blaze from an upstairs bedroom after neighbours came to their rescue with a ladder.

Neighbours Pete Matthews and Stuart Warner, who put a ladder up to first-floor windows

Angela and Roland Perry, of Wardard's Meadow, Witney, were asleep when a smoke alarm alerted them to a blaze in their upstairs flat, shortly after 1am yesterday.

Two neighbours, Stuart Warner and Pete Matthews, rushed to their aid with a ladder, and Mrs Perry and her son Simon, 21, were helped to safety before firefighters arrived.

But Mr Perry, 53, who is scared of heights, was unable to climb down the ladder, and had to be led to safety by firefighters after they made sure the stairway was safe.

Mr Perry, who needed hospital treatment after breathing in smoke, praised his neighbours for their quick actions: "Those lads did really well to get the ladder so they could get us out as quickly as possible."

It emerged yesterday that arsonists had set fire to a wheelie bin outside the ground-floor entrance to the home, sending flames and smoke shooting up the stairway.

Mrs Perry, 50, added: "It was a terrible shock and we were very lucky one of the neighbours had a ladder.

"As Roland rang 999, smoke was billowing up the stairs.

"We went into the bedroom, shut the door and then lined the bottom of the door with a duvet but the smoke was still getting through -- it was frightening.

"I managed to get through the window and down the ladder but Roland wouldn't come because he is scared of heights."

Mr Perry, who works for Oxford Electrical Products in Freeland, added: "If the fire had got too fierce then I would have been forced to come down the ladder but at the time I just didn't want to do it.

"The whole house has been covered in black smoke and all our clothes and furniture have been damaged.

"It's lucky that we have got insurance."

Mr and Mrs Perry also have a five-year-old son, Kieran, who was staying with a neighbour at the time of the blaze.

Mr Warner and Mr Matthews, from Wardard's Meadow, said they helped Mrs Perry and Simon down the ladder before two fire crews from Witney arrived, together with police and paramedics.

Mr Warner said: "When I saw what was happening, I grabbed a ladder from my garden and ran straight over."

Mr Matthews, 27, added: "I think it's disgraceful that someone has deliberately started this fire.

"It must have been terrifying for Angela and her family and it could have been a lot worse.

"We try to look after each other round here."

Mr and Mrs Perry are staying with neighbours while they wait for Cotts Way Housing Association to provide them with temporary accommodation.

Incident commander Richard Bowley praised the neighbours for helping Mr and Mrs Perry and added that smoke alarms saved their lives.

He said: "The smoke detectors went off when they were asleep and that has saved their lives.

"When they found their escape route blocked they did exactly the right thing and didn't panic.

"I would like to thank the public-spirited neighbours for using the ladder to rescue two members of the family."

Mr Bowley said the fire was being treated as suspicious and firefighters were liaising with Thames Valley Police for an investigation into the cause of the blaze.