A family in Bassaleg, Newport have been left traumatised as their house nearly exploded after car was set on fire by two masked men.
The incident has left a nine-year old boy traumatised after his mum’s car was set alight on their driveway in the early hours of last Friday morning.
Sarah Kemp, 38 and her son Caelan were asleep at the time but were woken by neighbours banging their front door at 12.30am.
CCTV footage from her property shows two masked men throwing petrol on to her Audi Q7 parked on her drive before setting it alight and running away.
A still from CCTV footage of Sarah Kemp's Audi up in flames. Picture: Sarah Kemp
The fire was so severe it melted the doorframe, caused plastic window frames to blister and the windowpane to crack. The fire was a metre away from the gas mains.
Ms Kemp and her son had to evacuate the house through the back garden, due to the loud bangs and popping as the car became engulfed with flames.
She said: “I was asleep in bed with my son, thank God my neighbours knocked on my door as I didn’t hear any of the commotion at all.
CCTV footage from Ms Kemps house shows two masked men doucing petrol over the car before setting it alight. Video: Sarah Kemp
“The front of my house caught fire, and if the fire brigade didn’t turn up when they did the gas mains would have wiped out the whole street.
“I feel sorry for my neighbours as they have been a victim of this, one of my neighbours’ cars was set alight from it.
"Everyone has children around here and it’s not something you’d expect to happen on a quiet street.”
Gwent Police were called and attended the scene at 11.30pm Friday night and then at 4pm on a Saturday.
The car was bought by her partner as a birthday gift.
Fire was a meter away from gas mains and could of been catastrophic. Picture: Sarah Kemp
The incident has left her son traumatised and in need of counselling after witnessing the horrific event.
She added: “If it wasn’t for my neighbours, we would have been dead, we haven’t slept at all since it happened.
“My son had to have the day off school as he was traumatised, he wont go upstairs on his own, and must either sleep with me or with a light on and is very jumpy if he hears any noises outside.
“I had to take him down the caravan to escape the crime scene and to give him peace from what was going on it was horrific.”
Ms Kemp praises Pobl housing association for their response to the incident, who have sent a surveyor out to look at the property.
She added: “I can’t thank Pobl housing enough for their support especially my neighbourhood officer Jordan, he has been fantastic.
“Pobl have been proactive in the clean-up, it was horrific, the tarmac has melted because of the fire. There was oil everywhere which was being walked in all our houses.
“Once the clean up is finished and everything gets replaced, we can look to the future and the scars will become less, so my son and I can move forward.”
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: "We received a report of a car fire in Fallow Close, Bassaleg, at around 12.35am on Friday 30 September.
"The cause is the fire is believed to be deliberate.
"Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, can call 101 or send us a direct message on social media, quoting log reference 2200331197."
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously with details on 0800 555 111.
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