A TOP trainer had to be taken to hospital after he battled in vain to save two champion racehorses from an arson attack on their stables.

Bob Johnson had to be treated for burns after the attack on a stable barn at Grange Farm, in Newburn, Newcastle.

Jaccout and Dennis the Mennis, who had won eight races between them and were worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, died in the blaze.

Five racehorses were in the stables when the blaze started at 6.30pm on Thursday night.

As dawn broke yesterday, Mr Johnson was left devastated after seeing the charred bodies of the dead horses in the cinders.

Nursing a bandaged arm Mr Johnson, 65, who has ran the farm for 35 years, said: "The flames had engulfed half of the barn, they were licking up into the sky and I had to get the horses out.

"They were neighing and were obviously in great distress. Then the fire brigade arrived and a team of family and friends all helped.

"We got three horses out, one of which was burned down the side of it's face.

"The other two, Jaccout and Dennis the Mennis, were trapped."

Fire engines were at the scene for about four hours.

Northumbria Police control room acting support supervisor Ken Broderick said: "The fire is being treated as suspicious."

* A 16-year-old boy, from the Newburn area, has been arrested on suspicion of arson.