A man had to leap to safety from a first floor window and a woman was rescued by firefighters after they became trapped by a blaze caused by arsonists.

Firefighters arrived at the flats in Brookfield Road, Barkerend, Bradford, early today to find the pair trapped inside the smoke-filled building after a wheelie-bin had been set alight under steps outside.

The man, in his 20s, jumped to safety and urged neighbours to raise the alarm, while the woman was later rescued by firefighters using a ladder and breathing apparatus. Both casualties suffered smoke inhalation and were taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Crews from Shipley, Bradford, Stanningley and Rawdon attended the incident at 1.45am, with some spending six hours at the scene.

Watch Commander Johnny Earl confirmed the cause of the blaze was being treated as arson and police were investigating. A man who lives in one of the adjoining flats said he helped raise the alarm after the man who jumped to safety knocked on his bedroom window.

The man, who would not be named, said: “I had heard shouting but I couldn’t see anybody.

“The shouting carried on, so I got up and looked out of the window and then I saw the lad jump. He got up and knocked on my window asking me to phone the fire brigade.”

Residents in neighbouring flats said they had heard some noise and loud music coming from the property on Friday evening, but nothing before firefighters arrived.

One said: “I was woken by the flashing lights coming in through the bedroom.

“I heard noises and looked out of the window to see the fire.”

Another resident said that they had seen men coming and going through the window of the flat before, but hadn’t seen anything untoward that night.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said an investigation was ongoing. Fire crews from Bradford and Idle also dealt with a fire which engulfed the ground floor of a maisonette in Amberley Court, Bradford Moor, shortly after 1am yesterday.

A woman was rescued by firefighters and taken by ambulance to BRI after suffering smoke inhalation.