A series of cars were set alight in a spate of arson attacks in Stockport over the weekend.
The attacks took place between 3:15am and 5:30am on Saturday, October 9, on Dale Street, Duchy Road, and Essex Avenue in Edgeley.
In each incident, a car was set ablaze, with firefighters quickly extinguishing flames within half an hour of arrival.
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Police have now confirmed they are investigating the three arsons to determine if they are linked.
Thus far, no arrests have been made by detectives.
Now, one councillor in the area has said the incidents ‘reflect a worrying perception’ of the neighbourhood.
“We have never had anything like this before,” Coun Matt Wynne said. “If you looked at this neighbourhood and saw three cars being burned, you would think a riot was about to start.”
Coun Wynne was one of three representatives for the area who signed an open letter to Andy Burnham last month pleading with the mayor to tackle a crime and anti-social behaviour wave that has blighted Edgeley this year.
The councillor said these incidents contributed to a ‘worrying perception [criminals are] not worried about being caught’ in his ward.
He also has urged officers to act swiftly in order to bring peace of mind to residents.
The Labour politician added: “I am just worried about a business as usual approach. The police response to this needs to be proportionate.
“People [will] not go to bed easy at night until they are caught.
“The police need to be clear with what is happening.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed detectives are still determining if the three arsons were linked.
“I can confirm we received three reports of arsons between 3.15-5.26am on Dale Street, Duchy Road and Essex Avenue,” the spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News.
“No one was injured and no arrests have been made.
“Enquiries into the incidents and whether they are linked remain ongoing.”
A statement from Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service added: “At around 3am, a crew from Stockport station tackled a car on fire on Dale Street in Stockport – the same firefighters later attended car fires on Duchy Street and Essex Avenue at around 3.20am and 5.20am respectively.
"On each occasion, firefighters worked hard to bring the flames under control and were at each incident for no longer than half an hour.”
Anyone with information should contact police online, if able, or via 101 quoting incident 505 of 09/10/2021.
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