Fundraiser launched for St Cross NHS worker, Army veteran husband and young daughter after Bilton arson attack

A fundraiser has been launched to support a Rugby family after a shocking arson attack saw them have to flee into their back garden over the weekend.

On the night of Saturday, May 2, NHS St Cross worker Zoe Cleaver and her Army veteran husband Matt were at their Jasmine Way home in Bilton taking part in a virtual quiz.

At around 10pm, with their two-year-old daughter asleep upstairs, the couple heard what they described as a 'massive bang' outside.

They then discovered that both their vehicles were in flames - with Zoe's car being parked at the top of the drive only eight feet from the front of the house.

The couple quickly grabbed their daughter and, fearing the cars would explode and not being able to escape the house because the blaze was so close, fled into the back garden.

Zoe said: "We were both completely horrified and couldn’t believe what we were seeing.

"We had to go right to the back of our back garden with our daughter in case the cars exploded and there was no other way out without getting in contact with the fire."

The fire brigade arrived within minutes and, luckily, neither Zoe's car or her husband's work van exploded - but both vehicles have been rendered unusable.

Zoe's car had been parked less than ten feet away from her daughter's bedroom and the arsonist had left the can of petrol right next to the fuel tank.

"We think he was trying to get the fuel tank to explode," Zoe said.

"If that had happened, my daughter's bedroom would have taken the full force."

The family has been left without transport, causing Zoe to have already missed two shifts at St Cross.

Zoe said: "I especially have been working extra hours and overtime to help with Covid-19.

"Only on Tuesday I had to watch one of the nurses from the ward where I work go to a crematorium to be cremated due to passing away from Covid-19."

Zoe's husband, who was a Fusilier for ten years and is now a key worker for Sky, and has been unable to get to work after the blaze destroyed his van.

The couple's daughter is due to celebrate her third birthday on Wednesday, May 6 - but all of her presents have been destroyed because they were being hidden in Zoe's car.

Police are investigating the incident and CCTV footage on the road reveals a young-looking male wearing a black hoodie and jogging bottoms with a white stripe was involved.

He was seen riding a bicycle to the family's drive, carrying a container of petrol.

He can then be seen setting fire to the vehicles, and Zoe suspects the culprit will have a burn to his hand because the fire erupted so quickly.

The family has been so frightened by the incident that they have been staying with a relative rather than return home.

Zoe's brother has launched a fundraiser to support the family, which can be accessed at bit.ly/3b0xx5FAnyone with information about the incident should call police on 101.