A MOTHER of two was subjected to almost two hours of terror after a midnight intruder burst into her Oswaldtwistle home, held her captive and tormented her.

Joanne Trickett, whose children slept unaware in their beds, feared for her and her family's life as her hands and feet were bound. She thought the petrol-armed intruder was going to set the hous on fire.

Burnley Crown Court heard Miss Trickett was the "innocent victim" of disgruntled and desperate father of two Andrew Roberts.

The woman he had been looking for was Tina Roncoli, a social worker he blamed for taking his son away.

He claimed she and other staff at Bury Social Services, set out to destroy his family and subjected the son to "appalling cruelty."

The court heard Bradshaw man Roberts, was "driven to the very edge of reason" and acting in desperation when he arrived at the property where he believed Miss Roncoli lived -- but which she had sold to Miss Trickett.

He told police he had wanted to burn down Miss Roncoli's home in front of her very eyes. Instead, he left Miss Trickett needing counselling and her young son, who almost stumbled upon the events, traumatised.

Reading a statement from the dock, Roberts apologised to Miss Trickett for the horror she had suffered and said what he did was unforgivable.

Roberts, aged 39, of Oaks Avenue, Bradshaw, had admitted false imprisonment, having articles with intent to damage property and possessing an offensive weapon in March. Charles Brown, prosecuting, said Miss Trickett had bought her home on Stanhill Lane from Miss Roncoli in January.

Roberts had become obsessed with Miss Roncoli and the way care proceedings over his son had been dealt with. He threatened to kill and torture social services staff and dispose of their bodies in acid.

Roberts, who had earlier found the address where he believed Miss Roncoli lived, either through the electoral

register or the Internet, had with him 20 litres of petrol, hammers, a baton, acid, a knife, tough adhesive tape and matches and set off for Oswaldtwistle.

Miss Trickett was awoken by a thud and Roberts, dressed entirely in black appeared in her bedroom, put the light on, appeared surprised and asked; "Where's Tina?"

Mr Brown said Miss Trickett did not know where Miss Roncoli had moved to, but Roberts refused to accept that and they both went downstairs. Miss Trickett detected a very strong smell of petrol and found fuel had been

poured through the exterior vent of the cooker by the defendant, who had got in through a window.

He produced a knife, cut the telephone flexes, forced Miss Trickett to lie on the floor and bound her hands behind her back. Roberts finally left and Miss Trickett struggled free, woke her children and went to her sister's to raise the alarm. The prosecutor said when Roberts was later arrested after he crashed into a tree, Miss Trickett's mobile phone and a balaclava were found in his car together with toilet cleaner with which he had planned to subdue Miss Roncoli's dog.

Stuart Denney, defending, said it was " a thousand pities," Miss Roncoli didn't step away from the case and allow a colleague to take over. Roberts had not intended to physically harm her or anybody else but felt in three years she had stripped him of everything he held dear - and he wanted to do the same to her. He thought nobody had been in at the house he believed was hers. Roberts was remanded in custody until January 11, by Judge Raymond Bennett, who ordered a psychiatric report to see if he posed a risk to Miss Roncoli and her colleagues at Bury Social Services.