A WOMAN was arrested by police for her own safety after she ran back into her burning home while firefighters tackled a blaze she started.

Teesside Crown Court heard how mother-of-three Christine Macleod set fire to bedding with a lighter and then screamed ‘Help me’, leading her family to rush to her aid.

Prosecuting, Jenny Haigh said the 44-year-old’s son kicked down her bedroom door and dragged his mother out of the property in Bolckow Road, Grangetown, Middlesbrough, which was evacuated.

But after firefighters had entered the smoke filled home, Macleod, who was said to be in a distressed state, ran back inside.

Mrs Haigh said: “The defendant was acting irrationally, screaming that she could not leave the address.

“At that point she was arrested.”

Earlier that evening Macleod, who had drunk five cans of lager along with wine and vodka, had argued with her daughter before both went to bed.

Later the daughter heard her mother shouting and saw smoke coming from her bedroom door.

In a statement the daughter said: “I just want my mam to come home and be part of the family again.”

Macleod, who admitted arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered on July 14 this year, told police she must have “cracked up”, but she could remember little of the incident.

She was remanded in custody after the incident and bailed early last month.

Graham Silvester, mitigating, said: “It was a cry for help.”

He said Macleod, who suffers from depression, had reached her “breaking point”, but the events of that night had been a wake-up call for her.

Judge Peter Bowers expressed sympathy for Macleod’s situation and said it would be wrong to jail her immediately.

She was given a 21 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.