THE 43-year-old man accused of starting the fire in a Kidderminster block of flats which caused the death of a young mother maintained he was asleep when the alarm was raised.

In a series of interviews with police, Mark Moat said he had been drinking and taken a drug, which made him sleepy. He claimed he was woken by a loud explosion before he was rescued by firemen.

Moat, of The Horsefair, pleads not guilty at Worcester Crown Court to a charge of manslaughter of Sandra Nowocinska and also to two charges of arson being reckless whether life would be endangered.

Miss Nowocinska died from the effects of fumes four days after being rescued from her flat but her five-year-old son survived despite being badly burned.

Moat was arrested as he awaited treatment at Worcester Royal Hospital on the night of the fire on November 27, 2014.

The prosecution allege he started the fire in a rubbish bin beneath the flats.

He told Detective Constable Philip Christie that he was in bed having taken about five valium tablets to relax.

He felt stressed out having gone through a divorce in a family court.

He was also in dispute with the man who ran the adjoining Crystal Cafe, claiming non-stop music was played for 36 hours.

Moat denied making telephone calls threatening to start fires. Police traced the calls to his mobile phone but he claimed they could have been made by his brother, who lived in Slough.

The trial continues.