AN ARSONIST rescued from a burning home by two heroic neighbours has admitted starting the fire herself.Kirsty Caswell, 20, of Fleming Avenue, Mildenhall, pleaded guilty to a single charge of arson when she appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

AN ARSONIST rescued from a burning home by two heroic neighbours has admitted starting the fire herself.

Kirsty Caswell, 20, of Fleming Avenue, Mildenhall, pleaded guilty to a single charge of arson when she appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Caswell, who is also known by the surname of Baggett, will be sentenced at a hearing next month once pre-sentence reports have been prepared.

The fire, on June 8 last year, is estimated to have caused around £25,000 worth of damage to the house in Thetford Road, Brandon.

Neighbours Carl Loveridge and Barrie Massey were returning home from a night out in the town when they heard faint cries for help and saw smoke billowing from the house, which is owned by Mario Lingham.

The pair told the EADT at the time that they spotted Ms Caswell through a first floor bedroom window and scaled the front porch to help.

Mr Loveridge, 27, climbed through a window and battled through choking smoke into the bedroom after the pair pleaded in vain with Ms Caswell to leave.

He made sure she had enough air and comforted her while they waited for the emergency services to arrive.

Fire chiefs praised the men's actions but the pair were modest about their bravery. “I'm not a hero - I think anybody would have got up on to that roof if they had seen a girl trapped and smoke pouring out of her house,” Mr Loveridge said.

“The smoke was so bad that I don't think she'd be alive if she had waited for the fire brigade. The floor was also getting hot and I was worried in case it gave way.

“It was really hard to breathe. I said 'we should get out' but the girl was in hysterics and panicking - she said she was scared of heights,” he added.

Mr Massey, 24, conquered his own fear of heights by joining his friend up on the porch and helping with the rescue attempt.

“We could see this big cloud of smoke and just kept comforting the girl. When we got down, I was shaking as I was scared sitting on that roof,” he said.

Ms Caswell was taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and treated for smoke inhalation.