A DEVASTATED dad and his three children have been left shell shocked after their car was deliberately set alight in East Tilbury.

Simon Sibthorpe, of Queen Margaret Avenue, said he and his family were “lucky to escape with their lives” as the petrol tank in the silver Ford Mondeo was near empty.

Mr Sibthorpe, 35, spoke of his horror after being called to his bedroom window at about 11.30pm on Sunday by wife Hannah, 34, to see 20ft flames blazing as high into the night sky.

Mr Sibthorpe, dad of James, 11, Thomas, 9 and Katie, 7, said: “I heard a car speed off at about 11.30 and I could see a flickering light through the window – I thought it was the hazard lights or something.

“Next thing I knew my wife said, ‘Simon, your car’s on fire.’ Within five minutes there were 20 foot flames and the sound of tyres exploding. I was absolutely gobsmacked, that someone would do that to my car.

“Luckily there wasn’t enough petrol in the fuel tank, or it could have really blown up. My mate said later, Simon, that could have been a bomb.”

Simon’s mum Joanne, 56, of Princess Mary Road, also described her “terror” trying to battle past the flames to get to the house.

Mrs Sibthorpe said: “There were huge flames reaching up to the top of the lamp post. Our main concern was the grandchildren and we couldn’t get to my son’s front door because of the car in the way “It was terrifying. If the car had exploded, all the houses on the street would have been damaged. His running on empty saved lives.”

Mrs Sibthorpe added: “My son is devastated. That car was his pride and joy. I hope they catch them because these sort of people, they need to be locked up.”

Mr Sibthorpe, who is a member of the Essex Ford Meet group, said: “No-one can understand why they would have done this.

“I worked hard to get where I am and the bits of money I do have I spend on my car. It’s my pride and joy – and it’s something me and my son do together.”

A spokesman for Essex Fire Service said they had conducted an investigation and recorded the cause of the fire as deliberate.

Essex police also confirmed they are treating the fire as “suspicious”, and asked anyone with information to call police on 101.