Members of the public were left terrified after two masked people were spotted setting fire to a car in a local supermarket car park.
The incident took place outside an Asda store in Leek, Staffordshire, on June 13, and involved two men who reportedly doused the vehicle with a flammable liquid before setting it alight, reported Stoke-on-Trent Live.
The two men, who were said to be wearing "Halloween masks", were seen fleeing the scene.
One local mum described how she came out of the store and the car was on fire just feet away from her vehicle where her 10-year-old daughter was waiting.
The woman, who chose not to be named, said: "My daughter had been sent home from school ill so she waited in the car while I quickly nipped into Asda to get some Calpol for her. I was only a couple of minutes but when I came out a car parked close by was fully on fire. Black smoke was coming from it.
"I ran to my car and reversed as far away from it as I could. It was so scary. At first I thought something had gone wrong with the car and it caught fire, but then my daughter told me she had seen what happened.
"She said she saw two men in rubber face masks, with hoods up, come around the back of our car. They had a fluid which they poured all over the car and set it on fire. She said they saw her sitting in our car but they still carried on. I must have come out of Asda just after it happened."
The flames reportedly spread to an overhanging hedge and were perilously close to neighbouring homes.
Witnesses said that a group of local firefighters happened to be in the Asda store at the time, so the fire was quickly tackled and extinguished
But the dramatic incident has left many locals shaken.
"It's scary thinking what could have happened," the mum said, noting that her daughter provided a statement to police. "I just kept thinking it was going to explode. There were lots of people around and other cars in the car park. It was madness."
Police are investigating and have appealed for witnesses to contact them.
A spokesman said: "We responded along with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to a vehicle on fire at Asda on Springfield Rd at 1pm on June 13. We are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage.
"Anyone with information, please contact PC French at joanne.french@staffordshire.police.uk."
