An arsonist has been jailed after setting fire to a family home in the dead of night.
Twenty-six-year-old Declan Gilluley was staying at the address in Cox’s Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, when he set light to multiple firelighters in the early hours of October 22 last year.
Gilluley, who placed the blocks on an armchair and settee, originally claimed to have been woken by the blaze before he and the other occupants fled the property.
He later admitted to starting the place by setting light to multiple firelighters around the downstairs of the property.
Gilluley pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless arson at an earlier hearing and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.
He was jailed for six years and will also spend an additional four years on licence.
Detective Constable Gareth Peace, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Gilluley’s actions that night were reckless in the extreme.
“He set several fires downstairs as his victims were sleeping above him and could easily have cost multiple people their lives.
“I am pleased that he later accepted full responsibility for what he did and that he is now serving a significant jail sentence.”
• Severn Trent calls for help as the thaw starts to cause huge increase in burst pipes
• Top Christmas destinations from East Midlands Airport – but be careful what you pack
