Arsonists put lives at risk in a Basildon estate by setting fire to bags of Christmas refuse which trapped four people in a flat.

Basildon firefighters rushed to Somercotes Court but found the fire access gates to the estate had been tampered with so a fire ladder had to be carried the rest of the way.

Today Sub-officer Steven Ball said that lives had been put at risk when ten to 12 full rubbish bags were set alight in a stairwell.

He said: "It could have turned very nasty. The stairwell was blocked by burning material and there were four people trapped. We sent in two firefighters with breathing apparatus to make sure that people were safe and we had to search the area for any casualties."

The police are now probing the cause of the fire which is being treated as Arson.

Published Friday December 28, 2001