A YOUNG mum has become the victim of a campaign of terror after her house was burgled, smashed up and set on fire during three separate incidents in less than a week.

Nicola Anne Cainie, aged 21, was staying at a friend’s house during the latest attack on her flat in Sportside Avenue, Walkden.

It was set on fire at about 11.15pm on Tuesday.

Her windows had been smashed only four days earlier, and last Thursday her flat was burgled and stripped of its copper piping.

Miss Cainie said it was only by chance she had been at her friend’s house when the blaze started.

She said: “The fire was in the bedroom where we would have been staying.

“Imagine if we were in the bed and we were asleep. We could have died.”

Miss Cainie’s bedroom and most of her possessions were destroyed in the attack, including photos and keepsakes from the child she gave up for adoption.

A man was arrested after the window smashing incident and given a £60 fine.

His window was also smashed last weekend.

Miss Cainie’s flat was cordoned off yesterday while police and fire investigators tried to determine how the blaze started.

Crew commander John Duffin, from Farnworth fire station, said: “There was a well-developed fire in the bedroom.

Two fire engines were there all night.

“It’s lucky no one was in there.” A man was arrested yesterday afternoon on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

A police spokesman said: “The police were called by the fire service at about 11.40pm with a report of a flat on fire.

“The fire caused damage throughout the whole of the ground floor flat.

“A joint fire service and police investigation is under way and we have carried out house-to-house inquiries.”