A mother and her two young children were dramatically rescued from their burning home after a suspected arson attack last night.

The woman was trapped with her five-year-old son and six-year-old daughter in the second floor flat at Windhill, Shipley (pictured), after the entrance hall was engulfed by fierce flames.

Investigators believe the blaze was started deliberately with a petrol-like substance.

When the fire broke out at 10pm, the terrified woman called 999 from her mobile phone.

Operators in the control room gave her life-saving advice, telling her to go with her children to a second floor front bedroom of the home in Woodend Crescent, stuff a blanket under the door and await rescue.

The family's desperate cries for help were heard by neighbours who attempted to put a ladder up to their window, above a shop in Leeds Road, but they found it was too short to reach them on the second floor.

Sub officer Nick Padwick, of Shipley fire station, said: "It took us three minutes to get there, and we found the three of them hanging out of the window with smoke billowing around them.

"Neighbours had put a little wooden ladder up and someone was trying to tackle the fire with a water extinguisher. It wasn't having any effect because it was a very serious fire.

"We got the fire service ladder off and one of our crew, leading firefighter David Rawlinson, went up to rescue the two children."

The pyjama-clad youngsters, called Ben and Bethany, were brought down one by one by Mr Rawlinson.

Crews from Shipley and Idle fire stations, managed to put out the fierce blaze around the back of the house and the woman, who has not been named, was led down the stairs to safety after being given first aid.

All three were taken to the Bradford Royal Infirmary for checks.

Fire investigators used the fire service sniffer dog Dex to search for signs of accelerants at the scene. The specially-trained black Labrador, who lives with a firefighter at Yeadon, helped investigators collect forensic samples.

Mr Padwick said: "It was a very rapid fire spread, fires don't normally spread so rapidly. The plaster had come off the walls in the entrance hall, it was so severe.

"It was very scary indeed for this woman, as the escape route was blocked. It could easily have been fatal if we hadn't got there in time. It was a very good job by both crews, and the efforts by the neighbours were commendable."

Theo Carson, joint owner of Tommy's Videos and Sunbeds in Leeds Road, said he tried to get into the flat to try to put out the fire.

"We were about to lock up the shop when someone came dashing in and said there was a fire round the back.

"I grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran round the back. One of the flats was on fire and there were flames and smoke coming out of it.

"I shouted to see if anyone was there but couldn't hear anything. Then the firefighters arrived and I went to the front.

"They'd got everyone out. The three of them were really distressed.

A police spokesman confirmed the fire was being treated as arson.