POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an arson attack on a house in Stanground, Peterborough.

The front door of the terraced property in South Street was set alight at about 1am today (February 28).

A man and a woman were asleep upstairs and did not wake until the fire had spread.

A neighbour saw the pair in distress and came to their aid with a ladder, helping them down from a rear window.

The man and woman were not hurt but the house was badly damaged and both next-door properties were evacuated.

Detective Sergeant James Weston, from Thorpe Wood Police Station, said the incident was being treated as an arson endangering life.

He said: "I am very keen to speak to anyone who was in the South Street area in the early hours of today who may have information about this crime.

"Thankfully, the neighbour acted quickly and helped the victims from the property or this could have been a lot worse.

"Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be important to this inquiry."

Anyone with information should contact Det Sgt Weston on 0345 456 456 4, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.