Detectives were today quizzing a mother in connection with a blaze which left her and her three children trapped in a burning house.

Firefighters who rescued Melanie Hall and the youngsters from their home in Windhill, Shipley, say they were lucky to escape alive.

The children, aged 14, 12 and seven, were rescued from a bedroom window while firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the house to pull out their mother, who had been overcome by smoke.

Firefighters say a smoke detector in the house in West Royd Avenue was not fitted with a battery and said there could have been fatalities if it had not been for passers-by who spotted smoke and got a neighbour to raise the alarm.

Two crews from Shipley Fire Station were called to the scene shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

The cause of the blaze, which is believed to have started in the kitchen, is still being investigated Neighbours raised the alarm and broke down a door but were unable to get to the family because of dense smoke.

One of them, Alison Hayton, said: "The kids were all crying up at the window and in a right state. Some lads had broken the door down and got in to try to get Melanie out, but it was too smoky.

"Melanie's a good friend. She's a nice person and a good, helpful neighbour. My kids play with her children - they're all lovely kids, very jolly and just normal."

Next-door neighbour Debbie Appleby said: "I thought they were being broken into when I first heard the breaking glass. When I went out they had Melanie laid out on the grass in front of the house."

Karen Fraser, who also lives nearby, said: "Some lads had seen the fire and were banging frantically on the front door to try and wake them up.

"That woke me up and I saw the fire was well alight in the kitchen and phoned the fire brigade.

"We told the children to go to the front window where there was less smoke, but no one knew where their mum was until they got inside.

"They are all nice children, just like any other kids, and I just know their mum to say hello to."

Another neighbour, Joan Pawson, said: "It must be quite bad inside. There was smoke billowing out of the window."

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