Elderly widow speaks out after arsonists target her home

An elderly widow has spoken of her horror after finding a '˜raging ball of fire' on her doorstep.
Jane Walker holds up the charred door matJane Walker holds up the charred door mat
Jane Walker holds up the charred door mat

Jane Walker, 74, was watching tennis on TV when she heard the letter box rattle and saw what she thought was steam.

But when she realised there was no delivery, and the steam was getting thicker, she opened her front door.

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“It was a vicious, raging ball of fire,” said Mrs Walker. “It’s my only entrance and my only exit so I was in trouble. The flames came in and my first thought was to put it out, using jugs of water.”

The charred door matThe charred door mat
The charred door mat

The retired hotel receptionist, who has mobility difficulties, wears a special watch to alert the 999 operator of any emergencies.

It meant a fire crew quickly arrived to her School Lane, Buckingham home, shortly after it broke out at 4pm on Monday.

Mrs Walker was uninjured but police are treating the incident as ‘arson’ with intent to ‘endanger life’.

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Her daughter Elaine lives next door but works as a driving instructor so was out at the time. She rushed home and helped her mum move into Hamilton House for the night.

The damaged doorThe damaged door
The damaged door

Mrs Walker, who has lived in Buckingham for 12 years, said: “I’ve got to get on with my life. They are not going to force me out of my home.

“It was very, very frightening. Every time I go into the hall now, I think there is something there.

“But I can’t thank the emergency services enough. We are so lucky to have them, for their expertise, and their comforting.”

If you have any information, call 101.

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