Arson terror rescue

A Glodwick man is in hospital today after arsonists set fire to the porch of his Barlow Street home.

The 44-year-old victim was woken by smoke in the early hours of the morning and locked himself in his bedroom.

Firefighters rescued him through the upstairs window, and he was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

His injuries are not life-threatening but he suffered serious smoke inhalation.

Police say the motive for the attack is not clear, but they believe two men got out of a car and poured an accelerant into the porch before setting it alight.

The house suffered extensive damage and will be uninhabitable for some time.

Officers are now appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Constable Simon Halliwell, of Oldham CID, said: “The victim suffered bad smoke inhalation and were it not for the actions of the firefighters, we could have been dealing with a tragedy.

“We need to find these offenders. Our inquiries are at an early stage, so I do not want to speculate about a possible motive.

“What we would ask for is anyone with information about those responsible, the car they may have driven or the type of accelerant used, to come forward.

“There will be concerns in the community, but I would ask people not to panic as events like this are thankfully rare and it would appear to be an isolated incident.

“If you do have information, keeping it to yourself will not help us solve this crime so please do speak to us — in confidence if needed.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161-856 8951 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.