POLICE are investigating after an arson attack on the home of a Hampshire county councillor.

Cllr Alan Rice, 83, was not at home when the blaze broke out in the porch of his 110-year-old home in Whitefield Road, New Milton.

The flames spread from the front door to an downstairs office as well as damaging electric cabling in the property.

Firefighters from Christchurch and New Milton extinguished the blaze and also managed to rescue Cllr Rice’s 17-year-old cat Annie.

The veteran politician praised his neighbour, Zofia Kopiasz, 32, who was returning from a night out in Bournemouth when she saw the flames and raised the alarm.

He added: “The fire crews came down right away and rescued Annie, who was looking extremely pale.

“The brigade did a tremendous job. An investigation team and crime scene investigation unit came down and spent quite a bit of time there.”

The blaze broke out last Sunday just before 4.30am.

Cllr Rice added: “It was a miracle that anyone was walking around in the area at that time of night. Without Zofia’s action the house would have been gone in ten minutes.

“All the cabling above the door has melted. A lot of documents have been burned and there’s also a lot of soot damage.”

A police spokesman said a 40-year-old New Milton woman had been arrested on suspicion of arson and released on bail until September 14.