A TENANT put lives at risk by torching his Basingstoke flat the day before he was due to be evicted, a jury heard.

Winchester Crown Court was told residents were forced to flee their homes after Rachael Tuscani - formerly known as Bruce Middleditch - started the blaze at the block of maisonettes in Faroe Close, Popley, in the early hours of March 14 last year.

Mr Andrew Barnett, prosecuting, said 39-year-old Tuscani was due to have an eviction case dealt with at the county court after he ran up rent arrears of more than £1,000.

Mr Barnett added that Tuscani claimed the fire was started by someone who got into his first-floor home and told him to warn a friend not to give evidence in a drugs trial.

But the prosecutor said the Crown's case was that Tuscani was to blame for the blaze, perhaps because he wanted to be rehoused.

Referring to Tuscani's story, Mr Barnett said: "This was a deliberate attempt to make it look like he was a victim."

The court was told that in a 999 call, Tuscani claimed someone had thrown a petrol bomb into his hallway. However, Assistant Divisional Officer David Lock told the court the burn marks were not consistent with a petrol bomb.

ADO Lock said the burn patterns at the scene were consistent with someone having scattered acclerant around the lounge, hallway and out the front door.

The court has heard how Tuscani - who suffered broken feet, burns to his hands and singed hair and eyebrows - jumped or fell from the first floor of his home after making a 999 call on his mobile phone.

Giving evidence, Zoe Bagshaw - a neighbour who had been at Tuscani's home less than an hour before the fire broke out - told the court how she was just getting off to sleep when she heard a bang and then hammering on her front door minutes later.

Miss Bagshaw said she saw the flames and Tuscani lying on her doorstep shouting "get the baby out".

Ambulance technician Keith Hoyland, who attended the scene, said Tuscani showed no signs of smoke inhalation.

Tuscani is charged with endangering life through arson and attempting to obtain property by deception.

The second charge relates to a leaking radiator in Tuscani's bathroom which led to a flood in the maisonette in October 1999.

Tuscani - who denies both charges - claimed the housing association failed to mend the radiator but the prosecution says the flood was staged so he could put in a large compensation claim.

The trial continues.