Fury as more cars torched

11:05am Monday 21st July 2008

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NEIGHBOURS living in a leafy Old Town Street have called for Big Brother to watch over them after a car was torched by arsonists.

A silver Citroen Zara was set alight in Quarry Road at about 4am yesterday - the fourth time cars have been targeted in recent weeks.

And that has left residents calling for CCTV to be installed to catch those responsible.

"We can't expect this sort of behaviour," said mum-of-one Gillian Nunn, 36, whose car was the latest to be set on fire.

"We didn't realise anything had happened until later in the morning when I saw police officers standing by my car.

"I thought it had been broken into but then saw it was worse than that.

"It looks like someone has smashed the back window as the fire started on the back seat."

Gillian's engineer husband Jeff, 45, will not be able to travel to work in Newport as a result of the vandalism.

"I will have to work from home, which is less than ideal," he said.

The couple say fitting cameras in the street could be a way forward to combat the crimes.

Their car was taken away to be forensically examined, but is covered by insurance.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "I don't know if this is being done to try and get us out of our homes or just for the hell of it.

"Whoever is doing this has no values. This is the fourth time this has happened now - it's crazy."

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We attended the scene at Quarry Road at 3.57am.

"The fire was started deliberately but the cause is still being investigated."

As reported by the Adver last month, a BMW and Ford Focus were also set on fire in Quarry Road.

It proved busy weekend for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue overall, which saw the emergency service go to six different fires in the space of 24 hours in Swindon.

Firefighters went to Langton Park in Wroughton at 2.24am yesterday for another car fire, which was started deliberately.

Crews from Stratton fire station were called to the rear of Blackworth Industrial Estate in Highworth where two tonnes of bailed hay was ablaze.

Fire crews are still investigating this incident, which took place on Saturday at 8pm.

And a further spate of fires in Swindon are still being investigated after fire crews attended three incidents during the early hours of Saturday.

Fire crews from Swindon and Stratton were first called to a garage fire in Beatrice Street, Gorse Hill, at 2.33am and another car fire just half an hour later in Sandown Avenue, Old Town.

A green Renault Laguna was on fire, which stared from an electrical fault in the engine.

"You could see 15 ft flames," said owner Rita Cockram.

"Then the front two tyres burst with loud bangs.

"It woke up all the neighbours, which I'm really apologetic about."

She said the car was given to her by a friend but says she would receive an insurance payment, as the damage wasn't caused through arson.

Firefighters were also called at 3.35am to a motorcycle fire on Florence Street in Gorse Hill.

Anyone with any information on the arson attacks is asked to contact Swindon police on 0845 408 7000.