Hotelier's daughter is jailed for arson

A hotel manager has vowed to stand by her daughter after she was jailed for starting a fire at the hotel she runs.

Tracey Ritchie, aged 21, was sentenced to two years in prison after Newcastle Crown Court heard how she had four previous convictions for arson.

Ritchie pleaded guilty to the latest arson attack at the Colliery Hotel, in Stanley Street, South Shields, on 14 September.

The court heard how Ritchie, of Gallait Terrace, Sunderland, had set fire to a bag of rubbish in a bid to draw attention to herself.

The building was filled with smoke but the flames were put out before any serious damage was caused.

Judge David Wood said: "So far, none of your fires have caused substantial damage but, one day, that might not be the case and someone might be seriously hurt or killed."

Ritchie's mother, Pearl, has been in charge of the Colliery Hotel for a year. She said: "Tracey has always been a difficult child. But she's my daughter and I will always stand by her.

"This was a cry for help. She has personal problems and she needs help, not putting in jail. "I've had a lot of support from customers who know Tracey and like her."