A TERRIFIED teenage girl fled from her burning home after an arsonist threw a brick through a ground-floor window and set fire to the living room.

Police have launched a hunt for the attacker, who appeared to deliberately target the large, detached mock Tudor house in Andrew Lane, Sharples, at 2.15pm yesterday.

The arsonist smashed a side window with a brick before throwing an accelerant into the house and setting it alight.

The fire engulfed a settee and the intense heat from the blaze caused the front window of the double-fronted home to break.

No-one was hurt by the fire, but the settee was badly damaged.

A black, 08-registered Porsche, which was parked in the driveway, was untouched in the arson attack.

The fire brigade was called after the teenage girl raised the alarm.

Crews from Horwich and Bury spent 10 minutes dealing with the fire. Eight people live in the house, but the girl, who is taking her GCSEs, was alone when the arsonist struck.

Her brother, who asked not to be named, said he thought it was a revenge attack. He said his uncle, who owns the house, had told some yobs to move off a piece parkland near the house a few days earlier.

He added: "You know what teenagers are like. It's something to do with that.

"My sister is doing her GCSEs and has been up late working. I'm just glad she was awake and managed to get out."

He said witnesses had seen a stocky, white youth with a skinhead haircut running away from the house.

An investigation by the police and the fire service has been launched.

Anyone who saw the incident is asked to call Bolton CID on 0161 8565757 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.