By Jenny Barwise

Last updated at 11:47, Thursday, 13 September 2012

Arsonists torched a car outside a house in Workington while a family of four, including two children, slept inside.

Burnt out: Family bewildered as to why yobs set fire to this car on the driveway of their home in Fountains Avenue, Workington

The early-morning attack outside their home in Fountains Avenue in Moorclose, Workington, left the car owners stunned as to why they were targeted.

A man, his wife and their two sons, aged 13 and nine, were sleeping upstairs in the semi-detached house when the vandals struck at 1am yesterday.

The family was woken up by the heat of the burning flames smashing the window of the blue Vauxhall Corsa, which was parked on their driveway.

They immediately rang the fire service, which put out the blaze.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: “We were in bed and my wife heard a loud pop. I looked out of the window and saw the car alight. There were 5ft flames coming out of the car. I thought I was dreaming to be honest.

“Our nine-year-old woke up and was petrified.

“He didn’t get back to sleep until 4am.

“It’s just inconsiderate that people have done this, especially when the kids were upstairs in bed when it happened.”

He thinks that it was a random attack on the car, as the driveway is the first one on the estate.

He said that it was lucky the fire never spread from the car onto the family’s other car which was parked in front of it, or even the house. It did, however scorch the front fence.

Fire crews spent an hour at the house, putting out the flames and making the area safe.

Police have launched an investigation into the fire and are asking anyone with information to contact police on 101.

JBarwise@cngroup.co.uk

First published at 11:30, Thursday, 13 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk