An arsonist who set fire to his own home has been warned he faces an ‘inevitable’ jail sentence.

Firefighters and police were called to Arshad Hussain’s home on Lower Antley Street in Accrington after he set fire to a dressing gown and rolls of wallpaper.

Hussain, 35, pleaded guilty to arson and a separate offence of robbery after a cigarette machine worker was targeted at an off-licence in Accrington town centre.

He has been remanded into custody for sentence at Burnley Crown Court on March 21.

Hussain, who lived next door to his mother and brother, torched a dressing gown in the living room and rolls of wallpaper in the loft on February 22 last year.

Prosecutors said the fire in the living room caused minimal damage, however the blaze in the loft could have spread to neighbouring terraced properties and risked endangering lives.

Firefighters from Hyndburn attended the scene at around 8.40am and confirmed the blaze was started deliberately.

Hussain will also be sentenced for robbing a vending machine worker at the Beer Necessities off-licence on Whalley Road.

Victim Stephen Beddows was replenishing the machine when Hussain approached him and said ‘give me the bag or I will stab you’.

He then threatened the victim again by telling him ‘there are some lads waiting outside who will do you’ before making off with hundreds of pounds in cash.

Claire Larton, prosecuting, told the court: “There are mental health issues in the background and there is an old psychiatric report in this case.”

Judge Jonathan Gibson asked for a pre-sentence report to get an up-to-date risk assessment. He said: “Clearly you are to be sentenced for two rather different offences, the arson and the robbery, and the sentence will inevitably be one of custody.

“However the length of sentence has to be determined as well as the type of sentence and that’s why I want the report.”