A FIRE completely destroyed two vehicles parked in a residential area, causing around £28,000 of damage.

A van and car were incinerated in the blaze, which took place in Rainbow Hill, Worcester, during the early hours of yesterday morning (Friday).

The flames spread to a neighbour's fence and shed, which housed 15 canaries - killing one of the birds.

The emergency services were called shortly before 4am by another neighbour, who was woken by the sound of the vehicles crackling in the heat.

Jason Knight, who owns the charred BMW X5, believes he has been targeted by arsonists, who he says dragged two wheelie bins between the parked vehicles and set them on fire.

Police say they have "not ruled out" arson as the cause of the blaze, and believe it is connected to another car fire which took place in Tunnel Hill at 4.15am.

Mr Knight said: "I'm absolutely distraught over it. We all go to work to earn money to buy nice things and that [the car] was my nice thing."

The 44-year-old explained he slept through most of the drama, as he wears earplugs at night, and was eventually woken by police shining torches through his bedroom window.

Venturing outside he saw both vehicles - which were parked at the back of his home - smouldering and giving off clouds of acrid smoke.

The £16,000 Ford Transit van was his work vehicle and belonged to Worcester-based business Smart Installations.

It was jam-packed with power tools and materials he needed to do his work for the company, which fits windows, roofs and conservatories.

"I feel sorry for Andy [who co-owns the business] because we have just spent a lot of money on the van," said Mr Knight, who will be unable to work for at least a week. "I have got no money coming in and no work until there is a vehicle."

Andy Godwin, who co-owns the business, said: "It is a shocking thing to happen. There is absolutely no need for it. It is pretty incredible, the amount of destruction - the intensity of it.

"We have been in touch with the insurance company. Really, it is about how quickly we can get Jason back to work."

Juan Romero, a neighbour, saw the fire and rushed to Mr Knight's house to try and wake him up.

The 48-year-old said: "It was an inferno, a ball of fire. Whoever has done it used my recycling bin and rubbish bin. They put them in between the cars to start the fire. It was a really big fire.

"If the fire continued for another five or ten minutes my Peugeot would have been ruined. It was so close to the BMW. I was so lucky. It was a case of arson."

Rosie Bass, who also lives close by, said she was woken by crackling noises and sounds like aerosol cans exploding.

"I saw a flickering, orange light on the widow - saw it in flames and phoned the fire brigade," said the 24-year-old.

Meanwhile, 93-year-old Arthur Sherwood was also woken by the fire, which badly damaged his fence and shed roof.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) attended the scene and spent an hour-and-a-half tackling the inferno.

The service said there had been a rubbish fire in Lowesmoor at around 2.45am yesterday morning, and bin fire in Cathedral Plaza at 5.10am. However, it could not say if the incidents were linked.

West Mercia Police is calling for witnesses to the fire. Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident number 058S of October 28. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

  • Video by Rosie Bass.