Car owner bears cost of arson attack

AN Ipswich car owner today told how his insurance is null and void after his car was torched on Chantry estate.

The incident was just one of a number of arson attacks firefighters had to tackle over the weekend.

Justin Bartlett's car was set alight six days after it was stolen from outside his home in Speedwell Road, Ipswich.

Shortly before 2am on Sunday Mr Bartlett had a call from a firefighter to inform him it had been found burnt out in Lavenham Road.

He said: “It was awful to know someone had been driving it around the estate and rubbing our noses in it.

“Then when we called the insurance company they said the policy was void because although the car was locked my partner left her handbag in it with her car keys in it. We now have to pay to remove the car from the green because the insurance company will not do anything.”

Meanwhile, police and fire service investigators believe that another fire which damaged four lock-up garages behind homes in Charter Close, Hadleigh, early on Saturday could have been started deliberately.

Investigators spent much of the day examining the blaze which also burned out two cars left overnight in the garages.

The house nearest the fire was badly affected by smoke in the blaze, but a resident - who would not give his name - said there had been no damage. “We've just had to open all the windows and doors to get rid of the smell,” he said.

The garages were badly damaged by the blaze, in the area of the town where there have been a substantial number of arson attacks over the years.

Just before 1.30am yesterday firefighters were also called out to a derelict shed fire in Bradfield Crescent, Hadleigh.

Elsewhere in Meredith Road, Ipswich, a blaze involving two wheelie bins had to be put out shortly after 1.45am yesterday.

On Saturday at 9.45pm crews were also called to Paper Mill Lane, in Bramford to deal with a fire in a two-storey, detached building.