A MIDDLEWICH gran has spoken about a terrifying arson attack that happened on her doorstep in King Street.

Rachael Harris, 52, was in bed asleep with her husband, Mike, 51, when their saloon car was set on fire at 1.30am.

The fire then spread to a van parked on the same driveway.

Firefighters told her they were just minutes away from the vehicles exploding.

The couple’s grandson, Jamie Ollier, 11, was in the house at the time.

Rachael said: “My husband Mike woke up to a ‘popping’ sound while I was still asleep.

“He starts work at 6am so when I heard him go downstairs I assumed that’s where he was going

“I heard him talking on the phone and then go outside so I thought that he had left for work.

“When he came back in I started to wonder what was going on, especially when I saw the time.

“He came up and told me that the car was on fire.

“I couldn’t believe it. He then said he was going to go outside and try to move the van.

“He went out to move his van and as he was inside he saw the flames begin to catch the side of the van so he got out of there quickly.”

Mike called the fire brigade and tried to fill a bucket with water but due to a burst water main in Kinderton Street they did not have any.

Rachael said: “The firefighters were dealing with the water main which was very close so they were able to get to the house quickly.

“After they put the fire out, they told me and Mike the car was about four minutes away from exploding.

“The car is parked right against the window and we have our grandson here as well, it just does not bear thinking about.”

The firefighters were at the scene for about two hours.

Police are aware of the incident but no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about the incident on Thursday, September 6 should call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 176237 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.