So sorry about the house, Mum. It wasn't me, it was the dog

His mother had wanted her teenage son to do some cooking and laundry. But when Sean Davey, finally embarked on some domestic duties he blew the roof off their bungalow.

The 18-year-old boy, who was looking after the family home while his mother and stepfather were on holiday, innocently placed a washing basket on top of an electric cooker. He then accidentally knocked one of the hob rings on before going out. The heated ring set fire to the clothes, which set alight a nearby bag of shopping which caused a can of deodorant to explode, blowing out windows and lifting the roof.

The blaze caused £35,000 of damage to the house in Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk. When the teenager told his mother, Joanne Bray, and her husband Paul, who were on holiday in Scotland, he blamed Jet, the family dog, which jumped up on the worktop.

“It’s ironic,” Mrs Bray said. “Sean didn’t cook anything while we were away— he survived on microwave meals and takeaways.”