A 49-year-old Worcestershire man who set fire to his own home after his life “hit rock bottom” has been jailed for three years.

John Proto was dragged to safety after neighbours found him collapsed on his patio outside the blazing house, Worcester Crown Court was told.

His wife had walked out on him and he could have been trying to kill himself in the fire at his home in Elm Grove, Stourport, at about 8.10am on September 7.

He was seen by neighbour Karen Freeman lying apparently unconscious on the patio and she called for help.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze, which they found to have been started in four different parts of the house.

An empty container was found in the bedroom and petrol had been used to set the fire in the ground floor office, the conservatory and two bedrooms. Proto pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

Peter Grice, prosecuting, told the court that Proto’s business failed and he was made bankrupt. His wife Denise had suddenly walked out on him.

He had sent his friend, Lee Edwards, who was best man at his wedding, a letter containing his jewellery asking him to sell it and keep the proceeds.

The letter said the wedding had been the happiest day of his life and he had not eaten or slept since his wife left in June to go and live with her daughter in Australia.

He said he did not want to carry on “without the love of his life.”

He had been working as a surveyor but his business had failed after the Government’s home information pack scheme fell through and he was declared bankrupt in August last year.

In the letter, he said he had written more than 300 applications for jobs but had no success.

His £300,000 house had a mortgage of £200,000 and had been up for sale since November, 2009, but there had been no interest.

Mr Gurdeep Garcha, defending, said Proto had reached rock bottom.

Mr Garcha said: “He has lost his wife, his business and his home and he has no contact with his family. He is at an age when he would not have expected to be in crown court. He has fallen a long way.”