A STRAY firework landed on the roof of two Almondbury houses and set fire to both of them last night.

Huddersfield firefighters say the firework landed in the lead guttering between the terraced houses and sparks spread to the roof’s timber frame, which then caught ablaze.

The incident happened at 12.20am at Highlands Avenue, Almondbury.

A female neighbour saw flames coming from the roof of the terraced properties as she searched for her cat and evacuated both of her neighbours from the fire-torn houses, one of them was Almondbury's Clr Phil Scott and his family, the other a mother and her young son.

Watch Commander Darren Bagley, of Huddersfield Fire Station, said: “It was a stray fire work landing on the roof which started the fire and which spread and caused quite a bit of damage.

“The people living there were not hurt and were safe when we arrived.

“But it caused quite a bit of damage to the roof of the two properties.”

Clr Phil Scott was woken after midnight by a neighbour who he said deserved a “massive bunch of flowers” as a “thank you for getting us all out in time”.

Clr Scott, his wife and two young daughters were evacuated along with another neighbour, a mother and her young son who are now staying with family elsewhere.

The Almondbury Lib Dem said: “After experiencing this I can only think that fireworks sales need to be better controlled.

“If parents are buying them for their teenage children they need to be aware of what their children are doing with them.

“We were lucky that a neighbour saw smoke and flames and got us all out while she was calling the firefighters.

“My thanks go to our neighbour and to Red Watch at Huddersfield Fire Station, they were quick, professional and did their best to put the fire out without making much mess.

“We do have a big hole in the roof between both houses, but it could have been much worse.”