Two cars have been torched on a quiet residential street in North Lanarkshire, in what police are describing as a 'deliberate' attack.
Emergency services scrambled to Macrius Way in Motherwell at around 7.45pm on Saturday, November 5 following reports of a major blaze having ravaged two vehicles in the area.
Upon arrival, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service found one car, a white Mercedes, to have been set alight. The car next to it, a white Kia, had also caught fire.
Horrifying footage taken at the scene, which was shared on social media, shows bright, orange flames spitting from the motors, which are parked on two driveways, dangerously close to nearby homes.
Masses of thick, black smoke swell the night sky, and faint explosions can be heard in the background. It is unclear whether the sound is coming from the fireworks display which was taking place at Strathclyde Park, a five minute drive away.
A panicked man can be seen pacing the street and clutching a mobile phone to his ear while he watches the motors burn. At one point, he throws his hands in the air while worried onlookers stand helplessly on the pavement beside him.
The fire was eventually extinguished, and no one was hurt. An investigation is now underway to piece together exactly what happened, with officers hunting a young boy who was spotted in the vicinity at the time of the dramatic event.
Detective Constable Graeme Stoddart said: “We are keen to speak to a male youth seen in the area at the time wearing a blue tracksuit.
“The area was busy at the time of this incident as people had been attending the fireworks display at Strathclyde Park so I am asking anyone driving in the area to check their dash-cam to see if there is anything that could assist with our enquiries.
“In addition, anyone in the area that has private CCTV images that might help with our investigation is also asked to get in touch.”
If you have information then please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3529 of Saturday, 5 November, 2022, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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