Dramatic moment mother's car bursts into flames after being torched by thugs

Fiona Simpson26 January 2017
WEST END FINAL

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This is the dramatic moment a mother's car bursts into flames after it was torched by thugs in south London.

The CCTV footage shows a silver Volkswagen Polo erupt into a fireball after two men doused the car in a flammable liquid.

One of the men then threw a lit item at the car and sparked a ball of flames before both suspects fled.

The blaze completely destroyed the vehicle, which belonged to a mother-of-two, and was left parked in Elgar Street, Rotherhithe in September last year.

Flammable liquid: CCTV footage appeared to show two suspects dowse a car
Met Police

Investigating officer PC Matthew Wilkinson said the owner of the car had been left “extremely distressed” by the attack around 4am on September 14.

He added that he believed the attack on the £4,500 car was targeted.

PC Wilkinson said: “You can see on the footage that the two men walk up to that car directly.

Huge fire: The vehicle went up in flames
Met Police

“The owner of the car has two young children and it made it very hard for her to get them around.”

The officer is appealing to anyone with any information about the attack to come forward including a man wearing a hoodie who the two suspects were believed to have spoken to before the attack.

He added: “The victim parked their car at about 8pm the previous evening and was woken at 4am by all of the commotion.

Met Police

“Any information at all that we can use to try and locate the two persons who’ve committed this crime will be of great assistance.

“Please help us to catch these two selfish people.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC Wilkinson on 0208 721 2802 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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