A TEENAGE boy decided to kill himself by setting fire to his home following a row with his mother, a court heard.

But soon after he lit the flames the 16-year-old changed his mind and fled from the burning house.

The court heard that, if the fire had continued for five more minutes, the flames would have broken through a shared wall and spread to next door.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, escaped a custodial sentence after a judge heard he had an appalling background as a child. He was given a two year supervision order.

The boy, from the Bolton area, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence. He admitted a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

Prosecutor Richard Heap said that the teenager had a furious row with his mother.

He was so upset following the argument that when his mother had left the house he decided to kill himself.

He went round the house and set alight piles of paper and then lay on the bed.

But when smoke began to affect him, the boy thought better of his suicide bid and ran from the house to his father's home nearby.

The fire had caught hold and was only minutes away from spreading to the house next door.

No one was injured in the blaze but the house was badly affected by fire and smoke damage and about £14,000 worth of damage was caused.

Recorder Anthony Russell QC said that he accepted that the boy's initial intention was to kill himself.

But he said he thought the teenager had mixed motives with an element of revenge against his mother.

He imposed a two-year supervision order with a requirement he undergo intensive supervision and surveillance under a special programme.