SHAKEN residents today told of their shock after a car was torched in a quiet Ipswich street.A police investigation has been launched following the suspected arson attack in Cliff Lane early on Friday morning.

SHAKEN residents today told of their shock after a car was torched in a quiet Ipswich street.

A police investigation has been launched following the suspected arson attack in Cliff Lane early on Friday morning.

Those living nearby were woken shortly after 3am to the roaring noise of the flames which engulfed the red Rover Metro. It is believed the vehicle's owner is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

Such was the ferocity of the blaze that neighbours feared the fire would spread to cars parked nearby.

A quick-thinking resident raised the alarm before preventing disaster by using a garden hose to keep the flames away from the vehicle's fuel tank until emergency services arrived.

The man, who did not want to be named said: “It was quite scary. I was using the hose to keep the flames down and keep them away from the fuel tank which I feared could blow up.”

The car was totally gutted in the incident.

Bhasker Patel and wife Pravina, who live yards from where the fire took hold, said they were woken by a hissing noise.

Mr Patel, 65, added: “We were pretty scared. This is a nice, quiet area. Something like this is very surprising. There were cars parked nearby and we were worried the flames would spread.”

Mrs Patel was the first to discover the fire.

She said the door appeared to have been wedged open and the fire looked as though it had been started on the driver's seat.

Police are asking for anyone with information on the incident to contact Pc Laura Hicks at the Ipswich Neighbourhood Response Team on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

How can car vandalism and fires be tackled? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk