A paramedic has hit out at vandals who torched his wife's car as they slept upstairs.
The shocking incident took place on Friday evening in Failsworth in Oldham, Greater Manchester, after John Lowe and his family had gone to bed.
The dad-of-one, 46, says he was woken up just before midnight by a neighbour banging loudly on his front door, the Manchester Evening News reports.
When he opened it he saw his wife's Vauxhall Astra - which had been parked just outside their home - engulfed in flames.
The North West Ambulance Service employee, whose teenage son was also in the house at the time, says he can't imagine why anyone would want to target his family.
"You try and do the best for these people and there's no reason you should be targeted for it," John said, adding that the incident has left his family traumatised.
"My wife is really shaken up and scared. She hasn't stopped crying all day and my son is feeling really frightened by it," he continued.
"I just don't understand why my family have been targeted.
"I am just glad I wasn't working a night shift because I don't know what I would have done if I wasn't there.
"Why would someone target someone who is part of the NHS or a key worker?
"It is a lovely street usually and easily the best place we have lived.
"You feel like you do your best to serve the public and everyone round here knows that I am a paramedic."
Fire crews were thankfully able to bring the flames under control before they reached the family's home, and no one was injured in the blaze.
Although John had hoped the fire was caused by an electrical fault, he says that CCTV footage shows a person throwing an object at the car before it caught fire.
Shocking pictures show the back of the white vehicle completely gutted by the blaze, with ash sprayed across the driveway.
John says the car has been completely written off as a result.
"It is lucky that our neighbours noticed the fire and came and alerted us as it easily could have set the house on fire," John said.
"It doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened."
John parks his own car on the road and fortunately, it was not damaged during the blaze.
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for comment.
