THREE men caught a baby in a blanket when he was dropped 20ft from the window of a burning flat following an arson attack.

The toddler was one of four terrified children trapped on the second-floor flat of a converted Bournemouth house.

Someone had blocked the front door of their Charminster flat with a settee and armchair and set them ablaze.

The flat in Malmesbury Road was attacked at around 1.20am on Saturday.

Resident Richard Girvin, 49, was in the ground floor flat and heard the smoke alarm go off.

He saw the girls huddled at the rear upstairs window and with the help of friend Paul Walker, 21, from Boscombe, dragged two sofas under the window and got out a duvet.

Neighbour Peter Whitmarsh, 59, an acoustics engineer, also rushed to help.

“The girls were scared rigid,” he said. “The smoke was pouring out of the window.

“When we caught the baby, it was the best bloody moment. It’s quite a responsibility, catching a baby in a blanket. I felt elated.

“The oldest girl wanted to throw the others out. I could hear the fire brigade coming so I begged her not to do it.

“She was brilliant. She just wanted to protect the children, she wasn’t thinking about herself.”

He added: “I have never seen a fire spread that quickly.”

Fire crews from Springbourne, Redhill and Westbourne used ladders to rescue the three girls.

Mr Girvin said the baby boy was aged around 18 months and the oldest girl around 15.

He said: “The girls were screaming and panicking saying ‘what do we do?’ and ‘help’.”

He added: “There was only one way in and out to the upstairs flat. Someone must have known that.”

Mr Walker said: “It was well scary. It makes you angry, the thought of people doing that. Whoever gets done for it, they want shooting, I tell you.”

One neighbour said: “The flames went up right to the roof. They must have used petrol or some kind of accelerant.”

The rescuers said the children’s mother arrived while the emergency services were at the scene.

Detective Sergeant Dave Wise from Bournemouth CID said: “This was clearly a very lucky escape. I am appealing for anyone with information to contact me urgently.”

• Contact Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222222 or the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.