A police chief has issued an urgent appeal for information after it was revealed a fire which broke out in a house in Norwich could be linked to two other arson attacks in the north of the city in recent days.
The latest incident happened in the early hours of yesterday morning when firefighters were alerted to a blaze in St Clements Hill at about 3am.
It is thought suspects set fire to a hedgerow which then spread to a garage and house, setting fire to two cars and causing damaging to the front and side of the property.
Superintendent Dave Marshall, Norwich policing commander, said: 'We are exploring the possibility of whether this incident is linked to other recent arson attacks in Constitution Hill and Shipfield Road which happened in the early hours of Sunday morning.
'This is a very serious offence which has the potential for unintended consequences. The person or persons responsible must be identified and it is vital that anyone with information comes forward before someone is seriously injured, or worse.'
Fire crews from Sprowston, Carrow and Earlham were called to the fire at the property, on the corner of Elm Grove Lane, at just before 3am.
Investigating officer, PC Craig Bidwell, said: 'The householders were able to get out of the property. They were checked over by paramedics and, fortunately, were unharmed. Fires have the ability to spread quickly, as this case shows, and the outcome could have been very different.'
Uniformed officers, assisted by detectives, carried out house to house inquiries yesterday, while additional patrols will be put in place to offer reassurance to people living in the area.
William Plane, 80, who lives near to the fire-hit property, said: 'It sounded like guns were going off. There were paint tins exploding and going up in the air.
'It was like a firework display. I came down and phoned the fire brigade straightaway.'
A 65-year-old woman, who lives near to the property but did not want to be named, said: 'It was a bit scary. My husband got up at about 3am because he could hear banging noises and we went to look and see what was happening.
'The garage and car seemed to be on fire.'
• If you have information, call PC Bidwell on 101.
• Have you got a crime story? Call reporter Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk
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