A COUPLE woke up to find flames leaping up in front of their house after their car was torched.
Ricardo Cortes and his wife Sophia were in bed when they heard a loud bang in the early hours of Sunday and rushed to their window.
They saw their small Citroen AX car was on fire in Duesbury Street off Princes Avenue and neighbours phoned the fire brigade at about 4.30am.
Sophia, 73, said: "I've had it for a lot of years but I've looked after it and I was just hysterical when I saw the flames.
"It had been broken into three months before but this time someone set fire to it and it's absolutely gutted.
"My husband has early onset Alzheimer's and I used it to take him to hospital appointments, I'm very upset about all of this.
"The fire brigade came quite quickly and the police stayed for more than an hour to speak to my husband and I.
"I was very concerned because I don't have any enemies and I'm nice to everyone down the street, I can't understand it."
Sophia said she'd recently had a new exhaust fitted and bought items for her car such as screen wash, which were in the boot.
"It all just exploded and there was a pair of Hunter Wellington boots in the car which my daughter had bought me for Christmas," she said.
"We've had a few problems down the street but I've lived here for years and I don't see why I should have to move.
"One of the houses looks awful, but I have a lovely home and I like the area."
Sophia is urging residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious or anti-social behaviour in Duesbury Street.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service are investigating the fire but Sophia says it was "without a doubt" an arson attack.
Anyone with information about the fire on Saturday night should contact Humberside Police on 101, quoting log number 177 of June 13.
