A FAMILY living above the Royal British Legion in Droitwich narrowly avoided being burned to death when arsonists set fire to the club for the second time this year.

Stewards Sue and John Roberts discovered the blaze in the club's dance hall early on Saturday morning, following an evening of live music.

They were only saved by a silent burglar alarm, set off as the blaze damaged wires connected to it.

Police later arrested a man who was released on bail pending further enquiries.

Mrs Roberts said she and her husband John had made a security check of the Salwarpe Road club before going to bed.

Moments later, a security firm called to warn that their silent burglar alarm had been triggered and the couple went downstairs to investigate.

"My husband turned round as we opened the kitchen door and saw the emergency exit door on fire," said Mrs Roberts, aged 47.

Mr Roberts, 49, used water and dry powder extinguishers to tackle the flames, which had spread from the outside to take hold of curtains and the carpet inside.

A crew of firefighters from Droitwich's Green Watch arrived minutes later and spent an hour tackling the flames.

"We were all pretty shocked. If it had got any worse than that, I don't think any of us would be here," said Mrs Roberts, whose daughter Anne, 22, another steward who did not want to be named, and the family's dog were on the premises.

Club chairman Alan Lymer said an insurance claim for the first fire which razed a shed to the ground on Saturday, July 29 had only just been completed.

Collection boxes and poppies for Remembrance Day were among equipment destroyed.

"I think we've got someone with a grievance against us," he said. "It leaves a sour taste in the mouth."

Leading firefighter Kevin Harris, of Droitwich Fire Brigade, said the blaze could have been catastrophic.

"The hall has a suspended ceiling and if that had caught, it would've just ripped across the whole building," he said.

"This was a serious arson attack and potentially life-threatening.

"If the burglar alarm hadn't gone off, we'd have had a raging fire that would've gone upstairs.

"We've told the steward to get some smoke alarms installed immediately."