Shocking video reveal extent of fire damage caused to Clayton Brook home as police probe firework attack

An elderly couple said their dogs "saved their lives" after their barks alerted them to an inferno caused by a firework which exploded in their back garden have started a fund-raising campaign to help them get back on their feet.

Annette Wallace, 63, and her partner John Cooke, 66, were watching TV in the living room of their £100,000 three-bed terraced house when their pups, Kiko, six, and Enzo, five, started barking "manically".

The couple, from Clayton Brook,, shouted for the Staffordshire Bull Terriers to stop - but it was only when John looked through the back door window that he noticed the garden was ablaze.

Luckily, Annette, a cleaner, and John, a retired valet, fled with the dogs before the flames spread to their house and turned into a vicious inferno.

Shocking video shows the inside covered in thick soot, with furniture badly damaged and charred - with it expected to cost tens of thousands to be repaired.Annette's daughter-in-law,

Daughter Katie Wallace, 37, said that the situation is "horrific" and that she expects them to have to wait between six and 12 months until they can move back in.

Lancashire Police have since launched an arson investigation into the incident and believe it was caused by two males who chucked a lit firework into the garden.

Annette said: "We are so thankful for Kiko and Enzo, as without them we may not be alive.

"We didn't hear a bang or smell smoke, it was only their barking that alerted us.

"The situation is devastating. We have lost everything apart from the clothes on our backs.

"Tragically, this includes photos and trinkets from the past forty years we have lived there.

"I don't know how anyone can be so cruel. We have no idea what we have done to deserve this."

Mum-of-two Annette says every room in the house has been damaged in some way, leaving it uninhabitable.

They have lost thousands of pounds worth of clothes, technology, and other personal items.

But worst of all the couple say all of their irreplaceable photos and keepsakes were destroyed or badly damaged.

Annette said the fire was put out by around 9 pm. But firefighters spent until 1 am clearing smoke.

The couple are currently living in a motor home until a new house can be found for them to live in.

They are currently crowdfunding to purchase clothes and food while they get back on their feet.

You can donate here: https://gofund.me/fed4b52cd

Lancashire Police subsequently launched an investigation and said it had been reported that two males may have purposefully set the house on fire.

A spokesperson said: “At 8:57 pm on Saturday 7th November we were called by the fire service to reports of an arson on Woodfield, Clayton Brook.

“It was reported that two males threw a lit firework into the back garden of a property. Emergency services, including our officers, attended to find a fence on fire.

"An investigation is underway and enquiries are ongoing."

A spokesperson for the fire service added: “The fire is believed to have been caused by a firework.

"However, police investigations remain ongoing and the circumstances have not yet been confirmed.”

The couple's property was owned by social housing association Places for People, meaning they will not need to pay for the clean-up or refurbishment.

But Annette says extensive works need to be done, including a deep clean to remove soot and the smell of smoke.

She said: "We have been told the ceilings will need to come down and be replaced. The carpets will need replacing.

"A new kitchen will need to be fitted as well as the whole house being rewired. It will be a huge job."

A spokesperson for Places for People said: “We are really saddened by this devastating incident and our thoughts are very much with the couple at what must be an incredibly difficult and distressing time.

“We’re in close contact with them and doing everything we can to provide immediate support, including temporary accommodation and longer-term housing options, as well as additional financial assistance.

"We will continue to work closely with them to make sure they have the support they need.”

Police have urged witnesses or anyone who may have CCTV or doorbell footage to contact them.