Residents fear for their lives after nine arson attacks

Police and the fire service are now paying regular visits to residential Warwick Road, which adjoins Silver Street, and its environs, after five cars and an empty house were torched.

Police said youths had been seen setting a car on fire with a bottle of what is thought to be petrol.

The fire service had to extinguish two cars in Warwick Road, one in Sweet Briar Walk, and two in Tanners End Lane, as well a house in Warwick Road, where 75 per cent of the first floor and a portion of the roof was destroyed. The fire is thought to have been started in three places at the rear.

A shed, a mattress, and a skip in the area were also targets in the arson spree which began on May 12. Police say no attacks have been reported since June 10.

Residents have blamed the occupants of a nearby care home for boys.

Police officers from Edmonton CID confirmed they are investigating a "linked series of arsons". They said that no arrests have been made, and "enquiries continue to identify a suspect".

They said two black men, aged approximately 21, about 5ft 9ins tall, were seen on June 8 in Tanners End Lane, when one of them threw a bottle which set fire to a car.

One resident said this could be the tip of the iceberg as she was told by police that nine cars three houses attacked, however this was not confirmed by police.

One desperate resident, a day care manager for a council outside Enfield, whose car was destroyed when it was torched, has had to spend £3,000 on buying a new one.

She said: "It is absolutely frightening. I can’t sleep at night. We’ve actually screwed down our letterbox because we were frightened of something going in. All police said was they would get forensics onto it, but they didn’t hold their breath. We shouldn't have have to live like this. We're scared for our lives."

In an email to Enfield Council leader Michael Rye she said: "Do you know what it is like to be awakened by cars and houses on fire, not knowing if you will be the next victim?

"Here is a problem with noise, lots of spitting, violent episodes, fighting and fires. I have spoken to local people and we are all feeling the stress of living in a part of the borough which has been long forgotten and is obviously low on your list of priorities."

A 67-year-old woman who has lived in the area for the past 20 years, said she had started sleeping during the day and regularly stayed up until 3am to keep watch on the street. She has now had a CCTV camera installed outside her house and won't open the front door to strangers.

She said: "It is horrific, we are not safe. This used to be such a nice street."

Councillor Rye said he asked officers from community safety, the enviro crime unit and the police to investigate the issues raised in the email the day after he received it.

He said: "I replied on June 24. I have asked officers to report to me on the actions being taken to deal with the matters raised and I shall write again once I have a full report.

"I fully understand the concerns raised and intend to visit the area in the next eight weeks as part of my regular inspection tours of the borough. I can reassure her that I too am concerned to hear about anti-social behaviour and I am more than happy to meet her personally."