Widow appeal over Worksop car fire

The 67-year-old was sleeping when someone tampered with her Vauxhall Corsa, which was a gift from her late husband.

The car, which was parked outside her home in Shaw Street, was set alight shortly before 1.30am on 30th September.

It burst into flames and the heat from the blaze was so intense it melted the front door and guttering of the house.

The woman was uninjured but left extremely distressed by the incident.

She said: “I was having the first good night’s sleep I’d had since my husband died and then this happened. I got up and rushed downstairs and when I opened the front door I was met with the fire, which singed my eyebrows.”

“The car was worth much more to me than just cash as it was a gift from my husband. He bought it thinking it would be something that would last, but he didn’t count on someone setting it on fire.”

“Anyone who knows who did this, please call police.”

Worksop PCSO Andrew Carter said that since 1st April there have been 11 suspicious fires of this nature in the Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood area - a decline compared with the same time last year.

He said: “This is 11 too many and a big concern for us.”

“Not only was the car in this incident the victim’s only means of getting around, the potential repercussions of a fire in such close proximity to a house are frightening.”

“We are very lucky it didn’t spread further or cause the victim serious injury.”

“A conviction for arson carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. We need to find the culprit before someone gets hurt.”

Anyone with any information about the person responsible for the fire should contact Notts Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.