A mayor in South Gloucestershire has said he has been left "totally shocked" after two council vehicles were targeted on Sunday in a succession of believed arson attacks.
Mayor and chair of Bradley Stoke Town Council, Tom Aditya, has spoken out about the series of fires that left two town council vehicles completely burnt out this morning (April 3). They were just two of up to 20 vehicles set on fire in several areas of South Gloucestershire, including New Road, Stoke Gifford shortly before 1.30am and the Rolls Royce centre in Filton.
One resident said they awoke to loud bangs coming from the Rolls Royce car park, which police said was due to fuel tanks exploding. A truck owned by Stoke Gifford Parish Council was also targeted. Bristol Live has approached Rolls Royce for comment.
In pictures: Pictures show scale of destruction to vehicles after blaze
Speaking to Bristol Live from the Jubilee Centre, Cllr Aditya said: "I was with the police team. They downloaded the CCTV footage and [we] handed it over to them. We definitely have some evidence over who has done it."
He explained the police arrived in the early morning and have been investigating other cases elsewhere across South Gloucestershire, including Little Stoke and Stoke Gifford, and he seemed confident they would gather more evidence soon. Police have said there have been no reports of injuries or damage to buildings.
When asked how he felt about the fires on the grounds of a council-owned sports facility, he commented: "Totally shocked, it's appalling. That's one thing because it's really unheard of in Bradley Stoke, these sort of things.
"In Bradley Stoke, I haven't experienced this sort of thing. Since 2007 I've been involved with the council and never has this happened. I think some nuisance guys thought they could get away with it.
"We are looking at different possibilities because with the amount of cars that have been attacked and the distance they travelled, it is actually thought some kind of e-scooter could be involved."
He added he wanted to reassure the public that Bradley Stoke is a nice place and is safe, highlighting the irregularity of the incident. Cllr Aditya continued: "Bradley Stoke is a safe place, it is actually the lowest crime rate in South Gloucestershire.
"This sort of thing is a one-off incident, and they will definitely find the people who have done that. I asked the police commissioner and the police chief directly to put a special detective and forensics team to nab these people so that we can put them under law."
He explained the Jubilee Centre is open as usual today despite the vehicle fires in the car park. "Still we have netball teams still playing here and I wanted to reassure community members - don't worry."
If you have any information that could help the police's investigation, call 101 and give the log number 124 of Sunday 3 April. Alternatively, give information 100 per cent anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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