A FAMILY of six had a lucky escape after arsonists torched their car during the early hours of today in Orford, Warrington.
The eldest of four children, a 16-year-old boy, alerted his parents after being woken by bangs outside the family home on Grasmere Avenue.
A fire crew who arrived to tackle the blaze said it appeared to have been started deliberately.
The parents and their four children, two boys and two girls aged between 6-16 were asleep when the fire broke out.
A neighbour hosed down the building to keep flames away.
A family relative, Ann Batley, posted images on social media in the hope that those responsible can be caught.
She posted on facebook: “I had a phone call from my sister in law this morning at 4.45am saying my brother’s car had been set on fire. When I got there the fire was in full flow one of the neighbours was in their garden hosing down their property and trying to keep some of the flames away………
“This happened on Grasmere Ave in the early hours of the morning the fire brigade said it was started deliberately. Now my brother has no car, the children had been woken from their sleep and were crying as it frightened them.
“This could be a completely different situation had it not been caught at the time it did and could have set the houses on fire. We have enough around here with bin fires etc now they seem to be going one better!”
Ann was also concerned to hear that there was only one fire engine available at Warrington to deal with the incident.
“Finding out that Warrington has only one fire engine at Winwick Road made this situation even harder to bare as somebody could have been in an accident or a house fire when they were here dealing with an arson fire. It makes my blood boil !!!
“The sight we see this morning is horrifying – to think someone could have been hurt through thoughtless vandals.”
Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity inthe area should contact the police on 101.
*Pictures reproduced with permission of Ann Batley
