FAMILIES were left stunned after arsonists destroyed a car near their homes.

One worried mother, who lives nearby, said the fire could have damaged other vehicles too.

She told how the car was dumped outside her home in Southbourne Grove, Westcliff.

Emergency services were called and took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze altogether.

The burned out car was left in the residential street.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Luckily I didn’t park too close to the car.

“It was not a great sight for my child to see on his way to school in the morning.

“I think there was some kind of property in the car when it was burnt such as a coat and bags.

“One of the car tyres had been shredded and the metal of the wheel was all damaged, before it was set on fire.

“It was so close to homes as well and could have been so much worse.

“I had a terrible feeling about the car being left there for a while.”

She said that it doesn’t bare thinking about, if it had set other cars and even homes alight.

The woman said it isn’t very nice to have this sort of thing happening where she lives.

She said other residents have been talking about the car fire and were also unaware about how it arrived there.

She said: “I just don’t understand why people, would do that.

“I think it is so dangerous, especially as there are homes with people and children nearby, there could have been a explosion or anything.”

A spokesman for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a car fire in Southbourne Grove, Westcliff at 12.10am on Tuesday, September 25.

“On arrival crews advised that the car was well alight. Firefighters extinguished the fire by 0.33am.

“The car has been destroyed.

“The cause of the fire has been recorded as deliberate.”

Police are appealing for witnesses.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called at 1.05am to reports of a fire involving a car in Southbourne Grove, Westcliff.

“The fire service has determined it was deliberate.

“If you have any information please call us on 101 quoting incident 32 of September 25 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”