A 37-year-old woman has admitted three charges of attempted murder following a house fire in Canterbury.

Pearl D'Souza – also known as Pearl Thomas - was arrested following a blaze in the kitchen of her semi-detached home in Keats Corner, Canterbury.

She and three others suffered burns and smoke inhalation in the fire and were taken to hospital.

D'Souza had denied the charges at an earlier hearing but returned for a 10-minute appearance at Canterbury Crown Court today, where she changed her pleas to guilty on three charges of attempted murder.

She was then remanded in custody while psychiatrists and probation staff prepare reports for sentencing, which is likely to be in December.

Fire crews had been alerted by a member of the public who spotted smoke pouring from the building on April 18 this year.

Dad-of-six Alan Todd, 39, told how he had returned from a family day out to find the police cars on the estate.

He said: "I asked the fire crews if there was a gas leak as I was worried about going into my house, but I was told it was a small kitchen fire.

"Because we haven't lived here that long we don't really know each other. Everyone just keeps themselves to themselves."

A mum who lives close to D'Souza said she heard the smoke alarm in the house sounding while out with her children and returned to find a crime scene.

She said: "When we returned you could tell it was a crime scene with the amount of police, fire engines and ambulances there."