TWO cars were torched in Basildon in a spate of early morning vandalism.

A stolen car was driven around Gloucester Park, smashing down goalposts on the football pitch, before thieves set it alight in an apparent attempt to cover their tracks.

Firefighters were first called to Devonshire Road, at 2.15am, where a silver Volkswagen Golf was on fire.

When crews arrived, the fire had spread to a second vehicle and they donned breathing apparatus to extinguish them.

It took about 15 minutes to get the fire under control.

Later on Saturday morning, Basildon firefighters were called out again to a second car fire at Gloucester Park.

A lifeguard who had been walking to work at the Sporting Village, at about 6am, spotted the flames and dialled 999.

Again, it took firefighters about 15 minutes to get the flames under control and it was later discovered the car had been stolen before the joyriders burnt it out.

Leading firefighter Christopher Houlder-Greenway said: “It looks like they drove round and round on the pitch before knocking down a set of goalposts.

“They then set fire to the car in the middle of the football pitch.

“Both incidents are suspected arson attacks.”

Essex Fire and Rescue Service told Essex Police about the fires and an investigation has been launched.

A police spokesman said of the Gloucester Park fire: “At about 6.20am on Saturday, the fire service contacted police about a deliberate car fire, in the middle of the football pitch in Gloucester Park.

“It was a blue Ford Fiesta that had been reported as stolen earlier in the evening from the Basildon area.”

Anyone who has any information about either of these incidents is asked to contact police at Basildon on 101.