A tenant who set fire to his council flat when drunk and depressed has been jailed for two years and eight months.
Leicester Crown Court was told Levi Mason used a lighter to torch some curtains and clothing before leaving the flat, in a block of four, in Wreford Crescent, Thurnby Lodge, on December 28.
He then had second thoughts and returned to extinguish the flames before calling the police; telling them what he had done and saying "I need help."
Mason, 23, then walked into Leicester's Keyham Lane police station and handed himself in, at 6.15pm.
He pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether neighbours lives would be endangered.
Karen Davenport-Coles, prosecuting, said that no-one was hurt and the fire service found the clothing smouldering when they arrived - and it was possible Mason had extinguished the flames himself.
The court heard that £2,060 of damage resulted, mainly caused by smoke.
No other flats were affected and no residents were evacuated.
In interview Mason said he consumed five bottles and two cans of lager and described himself as "drunk and depressed."
He set fire to the curtains and clothing, but did not use any accelerant, intending to harm himself and no-one else.
Ms Davenport-Coles said: "He said he then left the flat and went to see some friends and when he realised others might be harmed he returned to put it out."
Judge Simon Hammond said he was able to give Mason a reduction in his sentence because he rang the police to confess, put the fire out and handed himself in.
He told the defendant: "This must never happen again.
"There's huge concern about this type of offence.
"The gravity was the risk to other residents and potential risk to the fire service who had to go in and ensure no-one was trapped."
Michael Garvey, mitigating, said his client suffered from mental health problems but was not assessed, in a psychiatric report, as requiring hospital treatment.
He said: "He was feeling very down as a result of his job situation when he had been hoping to make progress.
"He was very low because he hadn't got a job and it was Christmas time and he was getting into debt.
"He wasn't drunk to oblivion, he knew what he was doing and he decided to harm himself.
"There was no pre-planning other than putting clothes in a pile.
"He's under no illusions about the outcome of this matter."
