Terror as evil arsonists firebombed my house

Susan Brennan was rushed into hospital for five hours of treatment to help cope with the trauma.

She was hyperventilating and had dangerously high blood pressure after a crude incendiary device was pushed through the letterbox of her home in Linksview Crescent, Ronkswood, Worcester, on Thursday night.

The 56-year-old accounts worker described her horror at seeing flames lapping up from a plastic container which blocked her exit as it burned at the foot of her stairs.

She said she was seconds from going to bed when the fire struck and fears she could have died if she had been sleeping.

"I was in my pyjamas when I caught this horrible strange smell drifting up the stairs," she said.

"I then saw a flickering light by my front door. I was so confused and frightened. My husband Mike was working nights, so I was on my own and in a total panic."

The mother of two grown-up children tried in vain to ring the emergency services on an old upstairs phone, but was then forced to run through the smoke and bang on the door of her neighbours for help.

She returned to the house with the neighbour to douse the flames with a bucket of water while waiting for the fire brigade and ambulance.

She began opening the windows, but smoke began billowing from her conservatory, where a second incendiary device was discovered when firefighters arrived at 10.40pm.

Mrs Brennan was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital suffering from shock.

"I had to have oxygen. I was hyperventilating. I was absolutely petrified," she said.

Mrs Brennan was in hospital until 3.30am where doctors battling for five hours to control her high blood pressure.

"I don't know why I was attacked. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity," she said.

"All I know is that whoever did this was evil. I don't know how anyone could do such a thing."

Police are treating the incident as arson and are asking witnesses to contact them on 08457 444888.