A NEWPORT man set fire to the house of an elderly resident endangering his life and that of the firefighter who tried to save him, a court was told today.

Mark John Poole, 21, of Albany Street, was sentenced to six years in prison by a judge at Cardiff crown court.

Poole moved a wheelie bin from a nearby fish shop to the front door of the home of John Cross in Newport's Malpas Road.

The court heard how Poole set fire to paper in the bin and watched the flames rise before knocking on the door and walking home.

The fire quickly spread to the house unbeknown to Mr Cross, who was at the back of the property.

Firefighters attended after receiving an emergency call. Firefighter Mike Joy climbed a ladder at the front of the house to rescue a panicked Mr Cross, 63, who smashed a window with his walking stick. He came out of the window head-first into the arms of Joy.

Both men then fell 20 feet onto the pavement and onto a second firefighter, Kevin Wiggins, who tried to break the fall.

Mr Cross suffered broken ribs, lacerations to his head and legs and was in intensive care for three- and-a-half weeks.

Mr Joy suffered concussion and severe back injuries and damage to his left ear causing vertigo trauma, meaning he cannot work as a firefighter.

Judge Neil Bidder told Poole, who had pleaded guilty to arson recklessly endangering life: "You set fire to a bin at the door of a terraced house knowing Mr Cross was inside for no better reason than that you didn't like him. "You lit the paper with a lighter and waited for the flames to reach higher than the bin.

"You very nearly killed Mr Cross and the firemen who were attempting to save him.

"It was miraculous that no one died, but you have caused £10,000 of damage and devastated lives.

"For this vicious act causing immense harm, I am imprisoning you for six years."