Police re-appeal after shocking arson attack at the Bilton home of St Cross worker and Army veteran

A still from the CCTV footage shows the attacker pouring petrol over Zoe's car.

Rugby Police have launched a second appeal for information following a shocking arson attack outside the house of an Army veteran and a St Cross worker.

On the night of Saturday, May 2, NHS St Cross worker Zoe Cleaver and her husband Matt, a former Fusilier, 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."

CCTV footage of the attacker was previously shared online and now Rugby Police are launching a re-appeal for information.

The footage shows what appears to be a male wearing wearing a black hoodie and jogging bottoms with a white stripe.

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

He can then be seen setting fire to the vehicles.

At the time Zoe said she suspects the culprit will have a burn to his hand because the fire erupted so quickly.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting Incident number 459/02.05.20.

Visit www.facebook.com/RugbyPolice to view the CCTV footage in full.