Van destroyed in arson attack on quiet Walsall street
A van was destroyed in an arson attack at a house in a quiet residential street in Walsall.
Fire crews say it was lucky the blaze didn't spread to the home in at 1.40am this morning.
West Midlands Police have now launched and investigation into the fire and are treating it as arson.
At the time the house's occupant, Mr Ranjit Singh aged 34, was asleep upstairs with his wife Meena Rani Kaur and three children aged six, 10 and 13 when he was woken by the van's alarm.
He and a neighbour were woken up by the van's alarm sounding.
When they investigated the noise they discovered the vehicle, a Vauxhall Movano, was on fire.
Mr Singh, who has lived there for six years, said he was shocked as it was normally a quiet road with 'no trouble'.
He owns the van and is employed as a driver by delivery firm ipostparcels.com. He is hoping to claim for the damage in insurance.
He said: "I'm gutted. When I came outside it was really bad. It was a shock. You never see anything like this around here."
Watch Commander John Horton of Walsall Fire Station, who attended the scene, said: "The fire was in the driver and passenger's seats. It is lucky that the van was backed up the house or this could have spread to the property very easily."
West Midlands Police spokeswoman Gina Lycett confirmed the blaze was under investigation, she said: "No-one was hurt but the van was completely destroyed by the fire which is now being treated as arson.
"Detectives are appealing to people who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the early hours of this morning to call Walsall investigation team on 101."
