POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a car was torched in an arson attack.

Crews from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were called to the blaze on Tuesday at around 1.45am.

They arrived in Coronation Road, Skilling, to find a red Vauxhall Nova ‘well alight’.

Another car parked in front of the Nova, a green Ford Mondeo, also received substantial damage to its rear bumper.

Firefighters left the scene at around 2.30am.

The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and Dorset Police were called to investigate.

One Coronation Road resident, who did not wish to be named, called fire crews in the early hours of the morning after seeing the blaze from her living room.

She said: “I heard two car alarms going off and glass from the car windows smashing just before 2am. By the time I called the fire service the car was already well alight. If the trees above the rear bumper of the car, which hang over my greenhouse, caught fire I knew we would have to get out the house so I told my husband and daughter we would need to be ready to leave.

“Luckily they didn’t catch alight but the greenhouse was glowing from the heat of the fire.

“Other residents in the area have had their windows smashed but I haven’t seen anything like this happen before.”

Bridport Police PCSO Pete Smith is now appealing for anyone with any information to come forward following the arson attack.

He said: “We are treating the fire as suspicious. We received a call at around 1.48am by a resident who saw smoke from the fire and heard the sound of car tyres popping.

“This incident is a rarity in the area. We haven’t had any similar incidents in the past year.

“The owner of the Vauxhall Nova is a local resident and young woman who was very upset to see her car had been destroyed.

“If nearby residents or anyone else saw anything whatsoever, please do get in touch.”

Anyone with any information are asked to call Dorset Police on 101, quoting crime reference number C:14:D:044856