A man who set fire to his top floor flat in Ramsgate because he wanted to see what happened must undergo mental health treatment.

A passer-by raised the alarm to the blaze via the intercom and Robert Watts and his girlfriend Lucy Haines alerted other residents.

Mr Watts and Earle Gibbs went to the top floor to try to rescue the occupant of the blazing flat, but were beaten back by thick smoke.

Firemen extinguished the fire and found the flat unoccupied because the man who started the £5,000 blaze was outside. Soon after, he made his way to hospital where he was arrested.

Mark Roe, 46, appeared for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court having admitted arson being reckless whether life was endangered.

He was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with conditions that he is supervised for two years and undergoes mental health treatment.

Roe had set fire to curtains at his Chichester Road flat and when he returned to the premises, seemed distant and vacant and wandered off, said Denzil Pugh, prosecuting.

At the hospital he told medical staff he had started a fire saying he wanted to see what happened, and that it was pretty dull living round there.

Christopher Sutton-Mattocks, for Roe, said at the time he was mentally ill, although now cured thanks to treatment he’d received.

Until the incident he had lived a blameless life, working in Fleet Street, but was going downhill and suffered a brain haemorrage.

He was horrified at what he did and had a strong supportive family behind him and there were grounds for optimism.

Sentencing Roe, Judge Timothy Nash said Roe had repeatedly taken alcohol and cocaine which made his depression worse, and at the time was suffering from mental illness.

“But mental illness is no excuse for injuring or killing people. Still less, for setting fire to your premises and putting lives at risk.”

He said he was satisfied Roe was not dangerous and posed no threat of a similar offence in the future.

Mr Watts, Miss Haines and Mr Gibbs have been recommended for High Sheriff awards of £500 each for their actions on the night.