A car was 'deliberately' set ablaze in the Southmead area of Bristol last night, according to the fire service. Avon Fire and Rescue service was called to Pen Park Road at around midnight on Thursday, August 4 after a car fire was reported.

According to a statement on their website, the car was "well alight" when crews from Southmead and Patchway arrived. The cause of the fire "is thought to be deliberate", according to the statement.

And it adds that a firefighter wearing breathing apparatus used a high pressure hose reel to extinguish the blaze. The statement does not clarify where the car was found on Pen Park Road, which stretches from the double roundabout connecting it Southmead Road all the way to Knole Lane in Brentry.

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Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed that they are investigating the fire. A spokesperson said: "Police were called as the fire service believed the car was deliberately set alight.

"House-to-house enquiries have been carried out and enquiries continue. Anyone with information or dashcam footage which could help the investigation is asked to call 101 and give the reference 5222185890."

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