A woman set fire to her flat on Mother’s Day after being depressed about her five children being taken away from her, a court heard.

Tina Phillips “symbolically” set ablaze the cot of one of her children, putting neighbours’ lives in danger, before fleeing and calling the fire brigade.

Damage totalling more than £17,000 was caused to the flat in Shipwrights Avenue in Chatham.

Next door neighbour Peter Mason and his family had to be evacuated.

Mr Mason told later how a wall next his nine-year-old child’s bed was “red hot”.

“It is scary to think what might have happened if my family had been asleep,” he said in a statement.

Phillips admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and possessing amphetamine. She was jailed for three years.

A judge told the 32-year-old: “As a result of your reckless conduct lives were put at risk and considerable damage was done.

“It is scary to think what might have happened if my family had been asleep...” - Peter Mason, neighbour

“Your next door neighbour has four daughters. He felt the heat coming into his flat. He, fortunately, was able to evacuate his family.”

Maidstone Crown Court heard Phillips’ parents took her two oldest children to her flat on Mothering Sunday, March 11, to see her.

“That seems to have been some sort of trigger for what she later did,” said prosecutor John Fairhead. “There were three seats of fire in the children’s bedrooms. One was in the baby’s cot.

“It caused a substantial amount of damage. She reported it anonymously to the fire service.”

Fire fighters were able to extinguish the blaze quickly, but mhs Homes, who run the flats for vulnerable people, said the cost would run into many thousands of pounds and it cause loss of income.

Mr Fairhead said Mr Mason’s fire alarm went off and he left immediately with his four daughters, aged two to nine.

“It became apparent how powerful the fire was and how near it was to the nine-year-old,” said Mr Fairhead.

“The room was red hot. He said he had to move the bed away from the wall as he feared it would ignite. A window was completely melted.”

Phillips was traced to the Holiday Inn Hotel in Rochester. When arrested she had a small amount of amphetamine on her.

She has previous convictions for shop lifting, battery and possessing amphetamine.

Lucy Luttman, defending, said Phillips had been closely monitored while in custody.

“It is surprising to make this statement, but she has thrived in prison,” said Miss Luttman. “She has described it as ‘positive prison’. She has clarity she has not had for years.

“She is making the most of prison. She has come off medication. She has completed a conflict management course. Most importantly, it has given her insight. She realises where she went wrong.

“She says it will never happen again. She was in such a dark place. Her five children had been taken away from her. She had been in two abusive relationships.

“It is noteworthy your children are visiting you in prison and you have had time to reflect and come to terms with the fact your children will not be returned to you...” - Judge Philip Statman

“She couldn’t get her head around this situation. This happened on Mother’s Day. She fell into deep depression. Self-medicating with amphetamine couldn’t have been any help at all.

“Her mother brought the two older girls to see her. That was a moment of euphoria because she hadn’t seen them for three weeks. There was this happiness in a moment of darkness.

“But when they were taken away there was another moment of darkness. She had spent a lot of time in the flat alone, going into the children’s bedrooms and playing with their toys.

“The loss of her children was excruciating. It was too much for her to bear and she broke. It was symbolic the baby’s cot was a feature of the fire.

“As soon as she set this fire, she snapped out of it. She tried to put it out but couldn’t. She called the fire service and said: ‘You had better get there quickly.’ It was a senseless act.”

Judge Philip Statman told Phillips, who suffers from ADHD and PTSD: “Fire knows no bounds. It is uncontrollable. That’s what makes it so dangerous. Thankfully, nobody in the building was injured.

“It is noteworthy your children are visiting you in prison and you have had time to reflect and come to terms with the fact your children will not be returned to you.”

The judge said it was clear that if Phillips became mentally ill while in prison, she would be transferred to a hospital.

He recommended that a programme should be put in place when Phillips is released, so that there are safeguards in future.