TWO neighbours burst into a burning house in Newport to rescue a woman they believed was trapped there last night - not realising a man was barricaded inside armed with a knife.

Tony Collins, 43, and Ben Glycos, 19, boyfriend of his daughter Zara, rushed into the house at Castle Park Close, Gaer, at 7.20pm, after seeing smoke billowing from it.

The neighbours were fearful for the safety of an elderly woman who lives there. But unknown to them a man had barricaded himself into the living-room armed with a knife, sledgehammer and crowbar, after setting the front bedroom alight.

Mr Collins, who lives in Castle Park Close, said: "I was working in the garden and all of a sudden I could smell acrid smoke, like that of burning plastic. When we saw the house was on fire, Ben and I broke the door down and ran upstairs to try to find the woman.

"We saw all the smoke was coming from the bedroom so we grabbed a couple of duvets from somewhere and quickly soaked them in the bath.

"The smoke, once we opened the bedroom door, was really thick, but it was clear she wasn't home so we threw the duvets onto the flames and got out the house.

"We told the police there was nobody in when they got here, so we were shocked when we saw the man was there and were told he'd been armed.

"All we were thinking about was getting the woman out of the house."

The elderly woman was away, it emerged later.

Police went into the house and when they reached the man they discovered he was armed.

Inspector Mike Fleming at Gwent Police Control Room said: "Our officers acted quickly and bravely to disarm and rescue the man and averted a potential fatality. He is in custody at Newport Central and has been arrested for criminal damage and burglary."

South Wales Fire Service said the call was received at 7.29pm and the fire was out by 7.43pm.

A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and burglary. He was still being questioned today.