A 47-year-old man will be sentenced next month after he admitted an arson charge relating to a fire in Keighley last September.

John Tretton had been due to stand trial at Bradford Crown Court on Monday on an allegation of arson with intent to endanger the lives of Owen Neilson, Karen Wilson and Bernadette Wilson, following an incident, at Parkwood Rise, on September 30.

But before a jury was sworn in Tretton offered a guilty plea to the alternative offence of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered and prosecutor Jayne Beckett confirmed that the plea was acceptable.

No details of the incident were given in court but when he entered his guilty plea, Tretton said: "I plead guilty but I didn't mean to harm anybody."

Barrister Ken Green, for Tretton, asked Judge Peter Benson to adjourn the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Judge Benson agreed to the application but he warned Tretton that he had pleaded guilty to a serious matter.

Tretton was granted bail until February 4 but he must reside at his address in Bracken Bank Grove, Keighley.

He is also banned from contacting the complainants in the case or going to Parkwood Rise.