THREE teenagers who sparked a blaze at an abandoned house in a residential street were spared jail yesterday.

Stephen Kerrs, then 17, and two youths, then aged 13 and 14, started the fire at Poplar Street in South Moor, near Stanley, County Durham, on January 21.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the blaze was started behind a sofa, which had been left in the property along with some other furniture when the owner moved away.

The fire was prevented from spreading out of control when a neighbour with two young children saw smoke coming from one of the windows and contacted the fire brigade.

Kerrs, now 18, of Hilltop View, Langley Park, and his two accomplices admitted burglary with intent and arson at an earlier hearing.

The court heard how all that was taken from the property was two footballs.

All three have previous convictions, but defence barristers said none have been in any trouble since the blaze, almost a year ago.

Defence barrister Christopher Dorman O'Gowan told the court how despite his age, Kerrs was not the ringleader of the group and has intellectual limitations.

Mr Dorman O'Gowan said: "He is not the sort of person who is a danger to the public and has to be put away for a number of years for the public's protection. He is not in that league and probably never shall be."

Judge Tony Lancaster sentenced Kerrs to a community rehabilitation order for 12 months.

He sentenced the youth now 14 to a six-month supervision order and the youth now 15 to a 12-month community rehabilitation order.

He told them that good progress made by the teens since the fire meant a custodial sentence was not necessary to protect the public.