Mother killed in 'arson' attack

Neighbours rescued the boy but were unable to save his mother

A mother has died and her 17-month-old son is critically ill in hospital after a suspected arson attack at a flat in Southwark, south-east London.

Neighbours rescued the boy but were unable to save his mother from the burning building early on Sunday.

Fire crews brought the woman out of the fourth-floor flat in Weston Road, but resuscitation attempts failed.

A 36-year-old man arrested in Southwark a few hours later is being questioned by murder squad detectives.

'Forceful banging'

Up to four neighbours forced their way into the flat in Chartham House when the fire broke out just after midnight.

They managed to save the boy who suffered serious burns and is being treated in a specialist burns unit.

Police said the woman, thought to be in her late 30s, died at the scene.

One neighbour, Susan Howard, from Elim Estate, said: "I heard an argument taking place and I thought it was my neighbours because it sounded so close.

Fire crews were unable to resuscitate the woman

"It was an argument with a young girl and I heard forceful banging on the door and I heard her crying, 'Help, help, help, let me out.'"

"I have never heard a woman screaming so much. She was hitting that door really, really hard - it sounded like she was trapped," she added.

Another neighbour Steven Taylor heard the commotion when he was coming back from the pub and raced to help.

"We were coming back from getting a beer when we heard this scream and we saw a man run across the road with a crow-bar."

His friend, Chris Murton, also from Elim Estate, said: "I tried to follow him in but the smoke was too much so I had to turn back, and I went next door because people were saying we should get wet towels."

Mr Taylor added: "We got towels and it was then that the fire crew arrived. It happened so quickly and it has just felt like a rollercoaster ever since."

They said they saw the baby being carried out of the flat by a man in a brown dressing gown and that they heard him telling the fire brigade that he had had to move the mother's body off the baby before he could carry him out of the flat.

London Fire Brigade said 25% of the flat was damaged in the fire.

Det Ch Insp Carl Mehta said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anyone leaving the block around this time, or any vehicle arriving or departing.

"We also ask anyone who may have heard or seen a disturbance at the address to come forward."