A city couple had a rude awakening as they realised there was a fire at the end of their driveway.

Beth Powles and her husband went to bed as normal at their Hellesdon home on New Year's Day but awoke to their wheelie bins ablaze on Tuesday.

The couple are unsure how the fire started but believe it is most likely that someone threw a cigarette into their bin or, worse yet, set it on fire intentionally.

However, with no cameras at their Drayton High Road home to find out, they have no way of knowing and have been left feeling uneasy.  

Norwich Evening News: The two wheelie bins have melted into the driveway The two wheelie bins have melted into the driveway (Image: Beth Powles)

Beth said: “It was really frightening.  

“My husband had woken up earlier than he intended, about 5am, and noticed an orange flickering coming from outside.  

“Initially he thought that it might be roadworks, but when he opened the door to check he came to wake me and called the fire service.”  

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Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene just after 5am and used hose reel jets to extinguish the fire in a matter of minutes. 

Two wheelie bins at the end of the couple's driveway were alight and the couple had no idea how long they had been burning for.  

Norwich Evening News: The couple said they are glad they spotted it, otherwise it could have made it towards the house The couple said they are glad they spotted it, otherwise it could have made it towards the house (Image: Beth Powles)

Beth added: “Had we not woken when we did, it would have likely spread up the tree and along the hedgerow towards the house. 

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“Luckily the fire service attended promptly, they were great.”  

With no CCTV available, the couple have decided there is little point in involving the police and are left with the remains of two wheelie bins that are mostly melted into the ground.  

Beth said: “We are now waiting for Broadland Council to provide us with new bins and we plan on keeping them closer to the house – as this really wasn’t a great way to start the new year.”