ARSONISTS HURLED a petrol bomb, damaging a car on a Shropshire driveway early today as the family slept just yards away in their home.

The attack is the latest in a series of suspected arson incidents which have blighted the Telford area in the last few weeks.

Police have already pledged to put “more attention” into parts of the borough following problems in the Brookside and Sutton Hill areas.

In the latest incident police were called to a home in Wyvern, Woodside, at about 1.30am today after the bomb, which consisted of a glass bottle filled with fuel, was thrown at a car.

The family was woken up by the noise of a dog barking after the item was thrown at the car on their driveway.

Tim Hughes, watch manager at Tweedale Fire Station, said the bottle was aimed at the car, but the fire quickly spread to a wheelie bin, just feet from the house.

“They threw the petrol bomb at the back of the car,” said Mr Hughes. Although they caused minor damage to the front driver’s side, the wheelie bin caught fire.

“The family woke up when they heard the next door neighbour’s dog barking and they came out of their house.”

Mark Hatton, force duty inspector for West Mercia Police, said officers attended the scene and were due to conduct house-to-house inquiries today.

It comes after firefighters were called out to the Brookside estate three times on Thursday to tackle rubbish fires started by youths. Police said they were working with Telford & Wrekin Council on the issue and warned such behaviour endangered lives and wasted emergency services resources.

Councillor Adrian Lawrence, the council’s cabinet member of environment, yesterday said it was “regrettable” incidents like the ones in Brookside happened.

Last Saturday arsonists sparked a string of fires on the Sutton Hill estate in Telford where there have been 38 fires since March.

By Jason Lavan