A mum was left fearing for her childrens’ lives after a torched car left them trapped inside their home.
Antonia-Leigh Maw desperately dialled 999 and could only watch in horror as flames crept towards her home in Howdon Wallsend, Tyne and Wear.
The nightmare took place in the early hours of the morning on Easter Sunday, when her, her partner and her two young children were asleep, ChronicleLive reports.
The 19-year-old was woken up by the sound of screaming and banging outside.
When she looked outside, she saw flames from the blazing car which was blocking the family’s only way out of the house.
Firefighters were able to put out the fire before it spread to the home where the family were hiding and the car was reportedly stolen.
However, the arsonists responsible are still on the run and police continue their hunt for them.
Recounting the horrific blaze, Antonia-Leigh said: "I was screaming for my life. We couldn't get out the house. It's traumatised me, it was terrifying."
"I went to bed on Saturday night and I was excited to give the kids their Easter eggs on the Sunday morning.
"I was asleep in bed and at about 5am then I heard a scream and then banging, it sounded like gunshots."
Antonia-Leigh had been looking forward to spending Easter Sunday with her sons Kaylam-Thomas, three and seven-month-old Ronnie, when her bank holiday plans were thrown into fear and chaos.
When she rolled over in bed, all she could see was a bright orange blaze shining through the curtains.
Her partner, Cory Stott, looked out the window and shouted for her to call 999, realising the car was on fire outside.
"It was on the end of my drive," she said. "The flames were coming towards my house, caught on my fence and my hedge. Then it started coming towards the house and the windows were shaking.
"I was screaming on the phone, I was crying saying 'me and my babies are going to die' .
"But just as I said that I saw the blue lights and I dropped to my knees and said; 'thank God'."
Antonia-Leigh watched as firefighters extinguished the flames heading towards her home before putting out the car fire.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service received more than 10 calls about the fire.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that in the early hours of Sunday morning a crew from Wallsend Community Fire Station attended an incident outside of a residential property in Timlin Gardens in Howdon where there were reports of a suspected abandoned vehicle fire.
“At around 5.19am our Fire Control team received over ten emergency calls from worried members of the public with the TWFRS appliance being quickly on the scene within five-minutes of the initial report.
“The car was well alight when the crew arrived outside of the property, where firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze using two hose reels.
“The appliance left the scene at 5.32am after spending eight-minutes successfully extinguishing the fire.
“The TWFRS crew made a request for police assistance.”
Police are treating the blaze as arson and appealing for witnesses to come forward.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Shortly before 5.30am on Sunday police received a report a car had been set alight outside an address in Wallsend.
“Emergency services attended and no one was injured.
“The incident is being treated as a malicious ignition and enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police."
And Antonia-Leigh is now furious with the reckless firestarters who put her family in danger.
She added: "I'm just so angry, thinking about it now I'm shaking. But I'm so thankful too. It could have been a lot worse."
