A Gravesend arsonist who set fire to a flat beneath a mother and her two young children has been jailed for more than two years.

Jake Walters laughed during his police interview when officers told him he had almost trapped his upstairs neighbour and her children when he set his home alight in a revenge attack for getting evicted.

He was sentenced to 30 months in prison after he admitted arson and theft at Maidstone Crown Court on September 5.

The 22-year-old received an eviction notice from his council flat in Augustine Road, Gravesend, on May 28 last year due to excessive noise and anti-social behaviour.

Two days later CCTV footage showed Walters walk his dog from Gravesend train station to the BP service station in Milton Road at around 8pm.

A quantity of diesel worth £4.41 was reported stolen at this location at around 10pm.

Just after 10pm, the occupant of the flat above Walters' - a woman, who lived there with her children, aged five and nine - noticed Walters' dog tied up in the communal area of the flats.

Minutes later, a neighbour raced to alert the woman that smoke was billowing from the door of Walters' flat.

She escaped with her children just as smoke began entering her property.

Kent Police officers arrived on the scene along with Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Investigators noticed a chemical smell coming from Walters' empty flat and classified it as suspicious.

A forensic investigator later found flammable liquid had been poured around Walters' flat and evidence indicated there were at least two areas of ignition in the hallway and living area.

Walters was arrested at his family home on May 31, where he had arrived at nearly midnight on May 30, carrying a bag of clothes that were later washed.

During interview, Walters kept laughing and would not answer any of the detectives' questions.

Following his interview, Walters was given a lift home by his father, who asked whether he had set the fire deliberately. Walters said: "Yes, I wanted a flat move, I want to be relocated to Meopham."

He later told his uncle he did not care about the welfare of the occupants of the upstairs flat, adding: "They grassed me up to the council."

Investigating officer, Detective Constable James Crouch of Kent Police, said: "Walters set his flat ablaze with highly flammable diesel and with absolutely no regard for the lives of others.

"He showed no remorse for his actions during the investigation and would not engage with officers at any stage.

"Being trapped in a house fire is every family's worst nightmare. Forensic evidence showed investigators this fire would have quickly spread out of control.

"If it wasn't for the quick thinking of other residents, the mother and her children who lived above Walters' flat could have been seriously injured or worse.

"We were determined to compile as much evidence as possible against Walters and worked closely with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Gravesham Borough Council to ensure we had him bang to rights.

"Now he will be behind bars and hopefully his time inside will give him pause for thought to reflect on the incredible danger his selfish and stupid actions posed for innocent people."