Nine children were inside Bridlington house which was targeted in an arson attack

Humberside Fire and Rescue were called in the early hours.

Police originally put out an appeal saying they were treating the blaze as suspected arson - but said the house was empty at the time.

However, Zoey Wales was in the house with her nine children - the youngest of whom is just four months old - six dogs, a cat and a hamster.

She said her children have been having nightmares since the ordeal on Saturday night.

She said: "We were all asleep in bed at around 11.30pm, apart from my son , who is 17, and was playing on his games console.

"He smelled something, came downstairs and saw the flames at the back door. He came to tell me and as we were getting everyone out of the house, the smoke alarms went off.

"Whatever has happened, the fire has started at the gas meter and released gas. We are so lucky it was put out as quickly as it was. It could have been a whole lot worse.

"We have got no idea why anybody would start the fine, we really don;t know. We have got no enemies."

Zoey said the arsonists must have climbed over a fence to get to the back door of the house in Cornfield Crescent.

Police said they are treating the fire as suspected arson and have appealed for anyone who saw or heard anything that would help with the investigation to call them on 101 quoting log 7 31/03/19.

DS Carl Sweeting said, “We are working on finding out what started the fire and I would ask for anyone who saw anything to contact us with their information."

Humberside Fire and Rescue said the fire involved an external gas meter and a disconnected tumble drier left outside the house.

Four crew members wore breathing apparatus to tackle the flames and stop a gas leak. It said there was external damage to a window, the side of the house and a shed.