Angry residents believe people's lives could have been put at risk after four cars were torched during an early morning arson spree.

Fire crews were called to Gladstone Road in Broadstairs at 1.15am today after receiving a report a vehicle had been set alight.

They were also informed of three further blazes - which are thought to have been started between 5.45am and 6.30am - in Chapel Place, Bellevue Road and Cavendish Street, Ramsgate.

Train driver Paul Cooper's red Ford Focus, which was parked in Chapel Place at the time of the incident, was one of the vehicles destroyed.

He said: "I first found out that this had happened when my partner phoned me at work, saying, 'I've got some bad news about the car'.

"I'd gone to work at 4am, so I drove the first train from Ramsgate up to St Pancras this morning merrily not knowing that my car was being torched.

"I was stunned because it's not something I've ever had happen to me before.

"It makes you angry because somebody has taken a decision to destroy your property."

Shocked Amy Ware, 25, was moved to tears when she saw her Citroen C1 engulfed in flames at about 6.30am.

Having spoken to neighbours, she says no one had witnessed the incident taking place.

"I was shocked," she said.

"You see stuff like this all the time, but you never expect it to be your car that's affected."

A police spokesman says the fires are being treated as suspicious.

And Mr Cooper, 39, hopes officers will be able to salvage footage of the incident from cameras positioned in the front and rear of his car.

"The car was torched and people's lives were put in danger because if that fire had spread, you're looking at houses that are quite closely packed on this road being affected," he added.

"I work shifts at all times of the day and there seems to be gangs of feral youths roaming the streets at the moment and there's nobody out to stop them."

None of the cars were occupied at the time.

Police are urging anyone with information about the fires to contact them on 01843 222289, quoting the reference number 46/60922/20, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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