Attempted murder charge after family's house set on fire in Leeds

A man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a mother and her two children in Leeds.

Anthony Walters is charged in relation to an arson attack at a house in Hill Top Mount, Harehills, on Wednesday, January 24.

Firefighters had to rescue a mother and her two children through an upstairs window after a fire broke out in the early hours.

Walters, 33, of Beckett Road, Wheatley Park, appeared before Leeds Magistrates’ Court yesterday for a brief hearing.

No pleas to any of the charges were entered. The case was committed to Leeds Crown Court where Walters will next appear on March 5. Police last week issued an appeal to trace a taxi driver who may have witnessed the incident.

A mother and her children, aged 14 and five, had to be rescued from the three-storey terraced property by firefighters.

They were treated in hospital for the effects of smoke inhalation. Specialist fire investigations later confirmed the fire had started in the hallway through the letterbox and the trio had to flee to the upstairs of the house for refuge as they couldn’t get out.

Det Insp Dave McDougal, of Leeds District CID, said: “If it hadn’t been for the courageous actions of the fire service, this incident could easily have had very tragic consequences.”