Neighbours have spoken of their shock after the blaze from a torched car spread to a house.

Police are investigating the incident which happened at about 1am on Friday, October 5, when a car was found ablaze in the driveway of a house in Antingham Road on the Heartsease estate in Norwich. This, in turn, caused damage to the house.

The occupants were not at the property today but a neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he had gone outside to investigate after hearing a bang.

He said: 'A woman and her two children live at the house. They got out okay.

'I was worried the fire was going to spread to my home and other properties and that the house would go up. At that time of the morning everyone is asleep so they might not have been able to get out of their homes.

'Luckily, one of the neighbours rang the fire brigade and it was put out before it spread. She probably saved the woman and her children's lives. I was really shocked by it as I had not seen anything like it here before.'

He said the woman was 'crying'.

He added: 'She banged on my door. She was crying. I think she had been asleep at the time, and the children were also asleep in the house. They could all have been trapped inside and killed. She was very shaken up by it. A lot of people came out to see what was going on and there was a lot of smoke.'

Another neighbour said she was asleep at the time and did not see or hear anything.

'One of the neighbours said they saw two people running away afterwards,' she said.

Slight damage was caused to the front door of the house, which is next to the Antingham Gospel Hall.

A fire crew from Sprowston had attended the blaze.

Anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area or anyone with information should call T/DC Dave Block at Norwich CID on 101.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/