THE victims of an arson attack that nearly destroyed two council flats in Headington said they feared for their lives.

Tawfiq Shaheen had to leap from his first-floor window to escape the fire at the Colemans Hill flat complex that started after bins were set alight at about 5pm on Sunday.

The Mini plant production line worker said this was fourth time the bins had caught fire in the 10 years he has lived in the flat.

After finding himself trapped, Mr Shaheen had to jump into the garden area to escape the flames that damaged his home.

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The 30-year-old said: “I was doing the early shift at work so was taking a rest in my bedroom.

“I heard shouts from outside my window and the doorbell being rung, but I thought it could have just been kids.

“Then when I heard my neighbour scream, I realised there was something wrong.”

Having seen the fire from his front window, he went into the corridor, which was engulfed in smoke.

He added: “You couldn’t see because there was a lot of smoke, but I couldn’t get out of the main door.

“I had to climb out of my window to get away from the fire as it started coming into my house.”

Mr Shaheen said: “The bins shouldn’t be there in the first place. If they put a lock on it it gets broken, and right now it’s open for everyone to use.” As a result of the fire, Mr Shaheen has had to leave his home and is currently living at a hotel in Cowley, paid for by the council.

Mother-of-one Rasha Harshim was also in the flats complex with her husband Musaab Mohammed during the fire.

The 31-year-old said: “We were very scared. We couldn’t go anywhere.

“Luckily my two-year-old daughter Rina was being cared for by a friend so she wasn’t here. I did fear for my life. It was very worrying.

Rina is still a bit traumatised by the whole thing. She was in the car park watching.”

Now Mrs Harshim is not sure whether her family should stay in the flats complex.

She added: “We don’t feel safe coming back here.

“There have been issues with the bins. I think there have been fires three times over the five years we’ve been here.”

Mr Shaheen added: “I was very worried about my neighbours, but relieved that their daughter wasn’t in there.”

Thames Valley Police confirmed yesterday it was treating the blaze as suspicious.

Officers want to talk to a man who called the fire service “to say the fire was nothing to do with him”.

  • If you have any information call the police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.