WATCH: Arsonist torches Telford car right in front of CCTV camera

An arsonist left a trail of destruction after pouring petrol over a car parked on the driveway of a Telford home and setting it alight, before fleeing the scene.

Three cars were torched in the blaze, which happened at an address in Overdale during the early hours of yesterday morning.

The offender was captured on CCTV pouring liquid from a petrol can over a VW Golf before setting it ablaze and fleeing in the direction of Garfield Road.

WATCH the video here:

It follows a spate of deliberate car fires in Telford and the surrounding areas in recent months.

The blaze in Overdale spread to two other vehicles parked on the same driveway.

Heather Davies, who lives at the address, was woken by a car alarm sounding at about 4.10am.

The 53-year-old said: "I was in bed. I came downstairs and saw the flames. The front of the car was on fire.

"I called firefighters and they were here in 13 minutes. By that time it was engulfed. Flames were going everywhere and it caught onto the other two cars.

"My concern was that they were going to blow up.

"It was scary. I feel pretty sick. It's gutting. It's not only the inconvenience but the insecurity you feel in your own home.

"If anyone has got any information or saw anything please tell the police."

She said the offender was caught in the act on CCTV and the dramatic footage has been passed to police to carry out further inquiries.

Police officers attended the blaze along with a crew from Wellington fire station.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to extinguish the blaze.

A fire investigation officer was sent to the scene and the blaze is being treated as arson.

Dan Butler, West Mercia Police spokesman, said officers were called out to the scene at about 4.25am.

He said: "A person was seen to pour an accelerant over one vehicle before fleeing the area.

"The fire has then spread to two additional vehicles."

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to extinguish the blaze.

It comes after a spate of car arsons in recent months.

Derek Taylor, from the arson prevention team at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the authority had already attended seven deliberate car fires this month in Claverley, Haughton, Brookside, Newport, Sutton Hill and Overdale.

There were also six deliberate car fires in Telford and one in Bridgnorth last month.

Vehicles targeted in Telford were in Hadley, Leegomery, Ketley and Stirchley.

Mr Taylor said: "We work closely with West Mercia Police who have arrested two people in relation to car fires in the Hadley and Leegomery area.

"In addition we have been called out to two incidents involving agricultural machinery in Cheswell near Newport and Ruyton X1 Towns.

"We would expect an increase in accidental agricultural machinery fires at this time of year due to an increase in harvesting crops.

"Causes can be machinery overheating, having electrical problems or hot surfaces coming into contact with straw."

Anyone with information about the incident in Overdale is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101, using reference number 67S of August 16.