The house where a woman suffered 60 per cent burns and a man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has a tragic history, it has emerged.

A 37-year-old woman is fighting for her life in hospital after the incident in Kingsbridge Road, Stonecot, on Saturday afternoon.

Police and firefighters were called to the house in the quiet neighbourhood at about 7.30pm.

The woman was taken to hospital in a serious condition and a 40-year-old man, believed to be the woman's husband, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

He has since been released on bail.

The incident has shocked neighbours but one former resident of the house has said it has a tragic history.

The man, who asked not to be named, lived in the property for a short time in the 1980s when he was eight years old.

He said at one point the cleaner ran from the house and refused to ever return because noises in the house frightened her and, after less than a year, his dad had a breakdown and had to be sectioned.

It later emerged that a previous owner of the house had committed suicide by drowning himself in the house's water tank.

Although the man never went back to the house and was brought up by another family member, his dad did go back only to suffer a series of break downs which culminated with him trying to kill his ex-wife.

The man said: "It's a very unhappy house. I'm one of the least superstitious people you could ever meet. I'm not spiritual but I think that house has evil in it.

"It's a continuing pattern - for the last 30 years terrible things have happened there.

"I think they should knock it down, to be honest. It will always have troubles."

National radio DJ Leona Graham, from Wimbledon, who is buying the house and had hoped to keep the family as tenants, dismissed the negative claims about the house.

She said: "I met the family a few times and I thought they were lovely. I didn't detect any atmosphere at the property at all."

"The house has a bright future."