Police hunt for fireball maniac behind arson attacks on cars

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An arsonist who douses parked cars in petrol before torching them in dramatic roadside blazes is being hunted by police.

The attacker is believed to have struck at least half a dozen times since the New Year in a spree of apparently random attacks on vehicles left on residential streets in Tower Hamlets.

CCTV footage obtained by the Standard shows the hooded culprit pouring accelerant from a petrol can over a black sports car before using a cigarette lighter to trigger a blast, then fleeing in the early hours last Friday.

He is also thought to be behind another car blaze days earlier at the same spot in Duckett Street, this time in broad daylight.

Residents in Wellesley Street, Shandy Street and Bohn Road — all within 500 yards — have reported similar incidents over the past few days.

Caught on CCTV: a hooded arsonist pours petrol over a sports car in Tower Hamlets before setting it ablaze (ES local feed )
ES local feed

Father-of-four Muazzam Hussain, 48, said he heard an explosion outside his house before flames scorched his front windows. He said: “It was horrible, we thought the whole building was burning. We were lucky no one was killed but it has happened twice now. I can’t get to sleep thinking of what might happen next. There are so many cameras around but he doesn’t care. He needs to be stopped.”

The burned-out shell of a Ford Focus remains in Shandy Street three days after it was set alight. There were other attacks, one outside a primary school and the other at a mosque, both in a 500-yard radius. One theory is that the vehicles have been stolen to be used in crimes and are then set ablaze to destroy any forensic evidence.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said he was worried that someone could be killed, adding: “A car on fire in an area so congested, so close to homes, schools and places of faith is an obvious danger. There have been six arson attacks in the last week and people are scared. Kids have stopped going out and the council is doing nothing.”

Andrew Wood, leader of the Conservatives on Tower Hamlets council, said: “I have seen video of people pouring petrol over cars and setting them alight and am very worried this may spread.”

A council spokesman said the attacks were “concerning” and added: “We are removing these vehicles from the streets as soon as we can.” A Met spokesman said: “Police are keeping an open mind as to possible links.”

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