A DISABLED teenager and her family have been left homeless after a suspected arson attack.

Police are hunting thugs who torched a caravan outside the family home on Doddington Road, Crewe, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The blaze spread to the family's bungalow and came close to spreading to neighbouring houses.

Sally Taylor, 44, and her 17-year-old daughter Cheryl were asleep inside the Wulvern-owned house at around 1.40am when neighbours, woken by the sound of explosions, saw the blaze and called the fire brigade.

The caravan was destroyed, one end of the bungalow was burnt out and a car in the driveway was badly damaged.

Fortunately, Mrs Taylor and Cheryl were alone in the house -Cheryl's sisters, Danielle and Sabrina, were away the for weekend.

Wheelchair-user Sabrina, 16, was left disabled as a baby after a house fire in 1991.

The family have now been forced to stay with relatives while investigations continue.

Shocked Danielle, 19, said the fire could have ended in tragedy if Sabrina had been at home.

Danielle said: 'We have been the victims of a house fire before which left Sabrina disabled.

'My mum and sister are really shaken up, but we are all just glad that Sabrina was at her dad's.

'The police think it might have been kids, but right now we don't know what to think.'

Neighbour Judith Ralphs said she was awoken by the first explosion and rang the fire brigade.

She said: 'I thought there was no chance of them arriving in time, the caravan went up so quickly.

'The flames were huge and seemed to be coming towards the other bungalows, and there were bits flying everywhere before another explosion went off.

'I could hear screaming and I thought Sally and Cheryl might have been trapped.'

The Taylors will remain with relatives until Wulvern Housing makes a decision on how to re-house them.

Crewe fire chief Carl Hanson confirmed that an investigation had been opened and that the fire service would be working with police to investigate the blaze.

* Anyone with information should contact Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000.