A FAMILY whose vehicles were set alight outside their home as they slept are calling for calm in a cluster of County Durham villages blighted by arson attacks.

Sarahann Campion and her husband Peter say something needs to be done to stop the attacks after their van and car were went up in flames and narrowly missed catching fire to their home.

Their Ford Cougar was parked on the driveway and the van was on the street next to their house on Peel Avenue, Trimdon Grange, on Tuesday, January 17 - marking the third suspected arson attack in about a week.

The mother-of-two said the attack had left her family “shaken” and in fear for their safety.

“I had never seen a fire like that before, it was quite frightening,” added Mrs Campion, 41.

“It just happened so quickly and I was thinking ‘am I dreaming this?’ I broke down. It’s bad enough cars being set on fire but to have it done on your drive.

"I’m frightened and I’m frightened to get my new car. I felt like I wanted to move and I’ve been in this house for 14 years.”

It was thanks to friends that the Campions were alerted to the blaze.

“At 3.30am to 3.45am we woke up to the neighbours shouting,” she said. “Peter got up and looked out the window and could see neighbours pointing, saying ‘the car’.

"That’s when we ran down and could see the car in flames and the bonnet smoking.”

Mrs Campion rushed to her sleeping children, aged 11 and 16, while Mr Campion and two neighbours attempted to extinguish the flames.

Despite destroying her car, which she uses for work as a mobile letting agent, causing serious damage to the van and smouldering the side of their house, Mrs Campion said she was grateful no one was hurt.

“I just hope it doesn’t happen to anybody else,” she said. “If they hadn’t alerted us I think it would be a lot worse.”

The incident was the third suspected arson attack within the space of eight days, and follows further instances in the area since mid-December.

Sometime between January 10 and 11 a house was set alight on Russell Crescent, Trimdon Station, and shortly before 8pm on January 15 a white Ford Focus was set alight on Coronation Terrace, in Trimdon Village.

Two men were arrested and released on police bail and enquiries continue.

And on December 12 a haulage company went up in smoke in Trimdon Colliery in what was believed to be arson.

Sergeant Alex Clarke said: “There have been a number of recent arson-related incidents in the Trimdon area which we do not, at this stage, believe are connected.

"I’d like to reassure residents we take this crime extremely seriously and we will pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.”

  • Anyone with information call 101.