Tony Nicholls (pictured) has been named as the man left fighting for his life after a blaze at his home in Birmingham
A man is fighting for his life after thugs threw fireworks through his letterbox causing a fierce blaze to rip through his home.
The man, named locally as 56-year-old former hardware shop worker Tony Nicholls, was seriously injured when his Birmingham house was targeted at around 11pm on Thursday.
His partner, named as Marie, is believed to have broken both legs jumping from the bedroom window after they were awoken by the blaze.
A blue forensic tent could be seen outside the £150,000 semi-detached property on Saturday, which has been left badly damaged by the fire.
Neighbours living on the quiet residential street said they believed multiple fireworks were put through the pair’s letterbox.
They described how Mr Nicholls was heard screaming and shouting for help as he tried to break the windows in the house in a desperate bid to get out.
One elderly woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It’s really shocking because this is usually a nice quiet area.
A man is fighting for his life after thugs threw fireworks through his letterbox causing a fierce blaze to rip through his home
The man, named locally as 56-year-old former hardware shop worker Tony Nicholls, was seriously injured when his Birmingham house was targeted at around 11pm on Thursday
‘I’ve been told somebody put lit fireworks through their letterbox. They were both in bed asleep and Marie jumped from the window.
‘People were saying they could hear fireworks going off in the night and that they sounded very close.
‘Its despicable that somebody could do such a thing. He used to work at the hardware shop over the road but gave up because of his health. We are praying he pulls through.’
Another neighbour said: ‘I ran over to get the neighbours out. Neighbours said there was someone in there. I called the fire brigade.
‘I didn’t see anyone, just lights going off. In ten seconds I saw the smoke and I thought, “I have got to get them out.”
‘I ran towards the garden and neighbours came out, I said ‘get out’ and I phoned the fire brigade.’
Matthew Green, 49, said: ‘It’s unnerved everybody. I saw the paramedics working on him.’
A blue forensic tent could be seen outside the £150,000 semi-detached property on Saturday, which has been left badly damaged by the fire
The man’s partner, named as Marie, is believed to have broken both legs jumping from the bedroom window after they were awoken by the blaze