Wigan cars firebombed in two separate attacks in one night

One vehicle was dowsed in petrol and a second jerry can of fuel placed on its roof in the drive of the home, causing the flames to spread to a garage and fencing.

In the other, windows were smashed and accelerant poured into the passenger compartment while it was parked at the roadside.

In both cases the cars were damaged beyond repair and police investigations have now been launched.

The first crime was reported at 10.40pm on Friday January 20 at the rear of a semi-detached house in Somerset Avenue, Tyldesley.

A Volkswagen Golf GTI was parked on the drive when it went up in flames which not only consumed the vehicle but also set fire to a fence and the nearby garage, damaging a quad bike inside.

A woman and two teenagers inside the house were woken by a bang, rang 999 and got out of the property safely.

A fire crew from Atherton and two vehicles from Bolton Central attended the scene and found a discarded petrol can nearby and second one which had been put on the VW’s roof and had melted over the windscreen.

Atherton watch manager Lewis Cross said that because there were clearly suspicions about the cause of the blaze, the police were contacted.

At 4.30am on the morning of Saturday January 21, a crew from Leigh fire station was called to Elm Avenue in Golborne where a blue Dodge Avenger had been set alight.

A neighbour had woken to the noise of the fire and, after moving his own car which was parked on the road nearby, tried to put out the flames himself with a hosepipe until firefighters arrived.

Watch manager Steve Waygood said that the windows of the now gutted car had been smashed and there was a smell of petrol inside, so again the police were contacted to launch a criminal investigation.

CCTV footage was passed to officers and the fire crews were at the scene for about an hour.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact Wigan police on 101 or the freephone Crimestoppers line anonymously on 0800 555111.