Neighbour watched in horror

MILKMAN Eddie Goracy watched in horror yesterday as fire ripped through the house next door and threatened to engulf his. He was in his Clos des Cauvins, Castel, home doing the accounts when he smelt what he thought was paper burning.

'I got up and looked out of the window and saw some smoke,' said the 34-year-old, who lives in the semi-detached Castel house with his wife, Jean, and two daughters, Jade, 9, and Kerry, 7.

'I went out the back door and saw smoke coming out of the roof and out of the bathroom window from next door. I started panicking because I knew that there was a chance the fire would spread through the roof space into my property.

'I grabbed the phone and called the Fire Brigade. There was smoke coming into my house.' His property also suffered water damage.

Mr Goracy said the house that was on fire had lain empty for around 18 months while the owner renovated it.

Stacey Le Tissier, 15, was on her way home from the Princess Elizabeth Hospital when she saw fire engines blocking the road.

The Les Beaucamps pupil, who lives next door to the affected property but on the other side from Mr Goracy, had just had her injured ankle checked at the PEH.

'I saw smoke coming out of the house and the one next door on the other side. Luckily for me, the wind was blowing the other way. I panicked a little bit because nothing like this has happened to me before,' she said.