A MOTHER has told of her terrifying experience after residents had to be evacuated from their homes when a car was set alight.

Police were called to Station Road, Harwich, just before 3am last Wednesday after the vehicle was set alight in a mindless and dangerous act.

It is understood several properties were damaged and two cars burnt out as a result of the incident.

The event has now left Lauren Gowers and her 16-year-old daughter “shaken up” and “nervous”.

“I live in the Cox’s Court houses which were alongside the cars on fire,” Miss Gowers said, “I heard a massive bang and left it for a few minutes, before I could then hear people shouting.

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“I went outside and saw the massive cloud of smoke and then the car started to explode – the noise was horrendous.

“Everyone started coming out of their houses and then the police were banging on doors trying to evacuate people.

“I went back inside to wake my daughter up and to get the dog and get out. She was very scared and it really frightened her to be awoken by being shouted at to get out of the house.

“It did damage the property on the end of the block - the guttering on the house melted - but thinking about it now we are so lucky the flames didn’t go any further than the cars and hit our houses.

“As police were trying to evacuate people the car began exploding and they had to run away.

“It could’ve caused life-changing damage and seriously hurt people. My neighbour is housebound and his wife was unable to get him out. If things took a turn for the worse who knows what could have happened.

“It has left me a little nervous at night and any noise late at night now I’m going to be worried that it’s happened again.

“It was horrendous and it really shook us and the dog up, people don’t realise the severity of their actions.”

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed inquiries are now ongoing into the incident.

They said: “We are investigating following a fire in Station Road, Harwich at about 2.50am on July 28.

“A vehicle had been set on fire which then led to a nearby building to be damaged.

“Our enquiries are ongoing.”

If you have any information you can submit a report online at www.essex.police.uk or call police on 101 and quote incident 132 of July 28.