A Perth family claim they’ve been forced to flee their home after their car was torched in the driveway.
Jacek and Marlenka Andrzejczak have been moved to a place of safety with their two sons and two dogs.
Police say they are investigating a case of wilful fire-raising.
The couple are originally from Poland, but Jacek, a sous chef, has been in Scotland for 17 years and Marlenka for 13.
Marlenka, 32, says they were in the garden at their home in Weavers Well Crescent, Perth, with their younger son when the attack happened.
She says they heard a loud explosion, but never imagined it was so close to home.
“I went into the kitchen and all I could see was the light coming from the living room. Everything was orange,” she said.
“I opened the front door and saw our car was on fire.
“I was screaming. It was terrifying. I grabbed my son and called the police and fire brigade.”
Perth car fire caught on security cameras
Jacek, 58, and Marlenka say they have handed CCTV footage of the incident to the police.
They have also shared it with The Courier in the hope it can help officers to catch the culprit.
In it, a man can be seen pouring liquid over the bonnet of the car.
He then strikes a light and runs away as the vehicle goes up in flames.
The car, a Ford Mondeo estate, is now a burnt-out wreck.
The house was also damaged by the flames. And Marlenka shudders to think about what could have happened.
“The ground is all black and charred where the car was sitting, and the windows at the front of the house cracked in the heat,” she said.
“We all have boxes for the gas supply sitting outside our houses.
“It was lucky our car was diesel. If it was petrol it would have exploded the whole street.”
‘Police say it’s not safe to return’
The family has had to buy another car so Jacek can get to his work at a popular restaurant in Perthshire.
Meanwhile Marlenka, a restaurant supervisor, is off work taking care of her sons.
The family rented the home, near Broxden, from Caledonia Housing Association.
Marlenka says they were the first residents in the street when the houses were built seven or eight years ago.
She says the family are now struggling in cramped temporary accommodation and fearful of where they might end up.
“We can’t go back to our house,” she said.
“The police say it’s not safe for us.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of a car on fire on Weavers Well Crescent, Perth, around 1am on Tuesday July 30 2024.
“There were no reports of any injuries.
“The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Caledonia Housing Association said: “We were made aware of an incident at Weavers Well on Tuesday July 30, which involved a fire in a car with minor damage to one property close by.
“There were no reports of injuries.
“Caledonia staff attended to assess the situation, are continuing to liaise with Police Scotland and are providing support to the tenant of the property that was impacted.”
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