THE mother of a baby killed in an arson attack on their home has been arrested in connection with the boy's murder.

Single mum Danielle Wails, 21, was taken into custody yesterday (WED) by detectives probing the blaze at the weekend.

News of the arrest came as police revealed that they have found closed circuit television pictures which show two men near the scene at the time of the fire.

Detectives refused to identify the suspect, but The Northern Echo understands it is Ms Wails, and she was questioned yesterday over the death of her son, Alexander Gallon.

Another woman, also in her 20s, who had been arrested earlier in the

inquiry, has been bailed, but she is not thought to be a suspect.

Early indications from tests are that little Alexander died from a combination of carbon monoxide poisoning and burns.

It is understood that the post-mortem examination revealed there were no injuries to the four-month-old boy.

Ms Wails claimed two intruders dressed in black barged into her home in

Links Road, Cowgate, Newcastle, on Sunday night.

She told police that she had been punched and kicked unconscious in the kitchen and dragged into the lounge where Alexander was lying crying on the settee.

The thugs were said to have bound her hands in front of her with telephone cable and started a blaze in the lounge.

Ms Wails told police that she came round in a smoke-filled room and made a desperate bid to save Alexander who was now lying on the floor, but the flames beat her back.

It was said Ms Wails had dialled 999 with her tongue. Firefighters arrived and forced in the front door and she tumbled out.

She was released from hospital on Tuesday and went to an undisclosed address.

As police stepped up the hunt for the alleged intruders, it was revealed that CCTV footage shows two men on the corner of Link Road and Whitehorn Crescent at 10.30pm on Sunday.

Detective Superintendent Barbara Franklin urged the men to come forward.

She said it was too early to say what was the exact seat of the blaze but said it was likely to have been started on the settee.