A MAN trying to kill himself set fire to his house after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs, a court heard yesterday.

Kelvin Blades, previously of Ocean View, Blackhall Rocks, admitted a charge of arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

David Scutt, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that Blades, 28, had caused between £20,000 and £25,000 of damage at his rented home, at Ocean View on September 8 last year. The fire also damaged a neighbour's house.

He said Blades had gone into his house and taken 100 codeine-based tablets and vodka. After setting a fire, he fell asleep.

He said three neighbours had seen smoke and tried twice to haul him from the burning and smoke-filled house. Blades told them to leave him there as he wanted to commit suicide and he had set the fire.

The first time they got him out, Mr Scutt said, Blades ran back in immediately. When they rescued him for the second time, they restrained him until police arrived.

Mr Scutt said that Blades told police he had been woken by the heat and gone downstairs to wait for either the drugs or the fire to "get him".

Stephen Ashurst, for Blades, said it was an unusual and rather sad case. He had not wanted to hurt anyone else, or damage anyone else's property.

Judge Anthony Briggs deferred sentence for further details in a pre-sentence report.