A lovesick man has been jailed for starting a fire outside the home of a blind neighbour who rejected his romantic advances.

Jason Fox, who is also blind, told probation officers he had planned to put out the fire himself and become her hero, a judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court said.

The 36-year-old and his victim were both living in sheltered accommodation at the Beacon Centre for the Blind in Sedgley. Fox, now of Burns Avenue, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was jailed for four years yesterday.

He had pleaded  guilty to the arson attack.

The court heard how “emotionally immature” Fox had been friends with the woman but was left distressed when he believed her to be seeing someone else.

He got drunk and used wood and paper to start a fire outside the front door of her home before calling the emergency services and then starting to put it out himself.

Firefighters who arrived at the scene last October found Fox with soot on his hands and face, while wood and papers were discovered at his home.

Miss Kanwal Juss, prosecuting, said: “The watch commander of the fire brigade said that if the fire had fully ignited there would have been dire consequences.”

A statement was read out from Fox’s victim who said the attack had left her feeling betrayed, worried and on her guard when meeting new people.

Miss Sarah Buckingham, defending, said: “The true cause behind this is he is an emotionally immature man who had been rejected on an emotional level before and then again by this young lady who he had hoped to have some sort of relationship with.

“He found the rejection difficult to cope with and became extremely stressed and drank far far too much.”

But jailing Fox, Judge Rosalind Bush said he was considered a danger.

She said: “You set a fire at the only exit door of this young woman’s flat. She is of limited mobility and would have had considerable difficulty getting out if the fire had taken hold. In fact, she might not have done so.”

The court heard that Fox had started a fire deliberately on at least one other occasion.