THE Madingley tower block resident who started the fire that left over 100 people homeless has been sectioned indefinitely.

Liya Bushman, 32, appeared at Kingston Crown Court this morning, after she admitted causing the fire that destroyed the top four floors of the tower block, on the Cambridge Road Estate, on July 12.

Bushman, 32, who suffers from schizophrenia, was given a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983 by his honour Judge Price, to be served in the Ruby Ward, at the Springfield Hospital, in Tooting.

Due to the serious nature of the offence, she was deemed a risk to the safety of the public, and was also given a restriction order under Section 41 of the Mental Health Act, for her to stay in the hospital indefinitely.

The court heard how Bushman, who had stopped taking her medication two days before the fire, became upset with words she was reading in the dictionary, and used white spirit to set alight the book on the balcony of her flat.

Prosecuter Jackie Townsend, said: "It appears she didn't like the words and how they were presented and defined.

"She then got some white spirit, placed it in a washing up bowl and lit the dictionary.

"She took a plastic bin to the bathroom to fill with water to extinguish the flames, but when she returned to the balcony, she saw smoke.

"She became frightened and decided to leave but left the front door on the latch for the fire brigade to be able to get in. She didn't tell anyone about the fire but spoke to a neighbour who she thought would phone the fire brigade."

Bushman left the building and after being stung by a bee went to the accident and emergency department at Kingston Hospital.

When she returned to the estate, she joined the rest of the displaced residents in Piper Hall, where she was arrested.

After admitting to causing the fire, she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act at Tolworth Hospital, until August 3.

No one was injured as a result of the fire, but a dog was killed.

In court it was revealed that Bushman, who also uses the alias of Kristie Byrne, had been given a hospital order in February 2007 for threatening to kill her neighbours.

Sentencing her, Judge Price, said: "This is a desperately serious offence.

"You put at risk the lives of the other residents of the block.

"Had it not been for the courage and sense of civic responsibility of the other residents who helped, I fear there would have been deaths as a result of your actions."

Bushman admitted two counts of arson - one for carrying out an arson attack recklessly, and one for arson with intent to endanger life.