Police Treating Leicester House Fire As Arson

19 January 2019, 06:32 | Updated: 20 January 2019, 09:58

A house fire in Leicester is being treated as arson.

Enquiries with the fire service and investigations into CCTV have confirmed a man approached the house before petrol was poured on the door and set alight between 10.20pm and 10.45pm on Wednesday 16 January in the Meadowsweet Road area. 

Police have released CCTV images of a man they'd like to speak to in connection with the fire.

We need your help identifying this man after a house was deliberately set on fire in the Meadowsweet Road area, Leicester on Wednesday 16 Jan between 10.20pm and 10.45pm. Do you know who this? Please DM us quoting incident 19*26249 or call us on 101. pic.twitter.com/FG6cFiNNXc

— LeicestershirePolice (@leicspolice) January 18, 2019

 The fire caused a small amount of damage to the door before the people living there managed to put it out.

A black saloon car was also seen close the address, which police believe may be linked.

Detective Constable Matthew Garside, the investigating officer, said: "The family are understandably upset and extremely lucky that those inside didn’t sustain any injury.

"This was a dangerous act which could have had far worse consequences and a different outcome had the fire had spread further within the property.

"There is a possibility that the man responsible sustained burns to his face and this is something I would ask people to be aware of. Has a work colleague turned up with such injuries which were not easily explained or perhaps you have seen a neighbour with facial burns which have made you suspicious? If you have any information which could help our investigation, please contact us."