A car parked in the driveway of a Tamworth home was destroyed after being set alight on Wednesday night.
A CAR parked in the driveway of a Tamworth home was destroyed after being set alight on Wednesday night.
Just before 10pm, the late model Mazda 3 sedan parked in a Denison St drivewaywas all but engulfed in flames.
Neighbours told The Leader they heard a loud bang.
“We looked out our window and the car was on fire,” one neighbour said.
It is understood the bulk of the flames were coming from under the bonnet and in and around the boot.
“The flames were about as high as the windscreen,” the neighbour said.
Another neighbour attempted to put the fire out with a garden hose while waiting for the emergency services to arrive.
Within minutes of their arrival on scene, fire crews had extinguished the flames.
The car was towed from the scene a short time later.
A spokesman for the West Tamworth Fire Brigade said it was not known what caused the blaze.
“Police were called and are now treating it as suspicious,” he said.
He said it definitely wasn’t the first car to be set alight in the Tamworth area at night.
“Most are usually stolen and found burnt out,” he said.
It is believed the fire was a targeted crime and could be linked to the offenders of other offences across the city.
It follows the burning out of a mobile food cart parked in Taminda on Saturday night but it is not known if the incidents are related.
A neighbour who spotted the fire on Wednesday said she hadn’t seen anyone light it but had heard arguing and a car speed off just minutes before.
Tamworth detectives are now investigating the matter.
It came the night before the city’s law and order meeting to discuss acts of crime and anti-social behaviour within the Tamworth district.
Another neighbour, who attended the meeting, said the incident was a little too close for comfort and made them consider leaving Tamworth altogether.
