Police are carrying out extra patrols after a series of arson attacks in Letchworth.

There have been 11 reported incidents between January 1 and February 21 and today detectives are appealing for witnesses to catch those responsible.

In the majority of the incidents the wing mirrors have been set alight but in some cases the fire has spread and caused extensive damage.

At around 12.20am on Saturday a green Skoda Roomster was set alight in The Crescent, following overnight damage to the wing mirrors of a black BMW in Meadow Way and a Nissan Almera in Bowershott.

On Friday night a grey Vokswagen Polo was targeted in Meadow Way, before a white Ford Transit van in Shott Lane and a Citroen Berlingo in Rushby Mead were also set alight, causing extensive damage.

On Saturday, February 14, the wing mirrors of both a dark blue Citroen Picasso and a blue Ford Fiesta were damaged in Meadow Way.

In January a grey Citroen Picasso was burnt out and a Volkswagen Transporter set alight in Jarden in the early hours of the morning.

On New Year’s Day a silver Honda CRV was set alight, with the fire spreading to the blue Vauxhall Astra parked next to it.

Investigating officer Det Sgt Alex Willcox said: “Arson is an extremely dangerous crime and these mindless incidents have not only caused concern for the victims but will naturally have caused some concern within the wider community.

“I would like to reassure the residents of Letchworth that we are taking this very seriously and have increased patrols in the area.

“We have a dedicated team of detectives and police officers continuously working on these crimes and we are determined to bring whoever is responsible to justice.”

Anyone with information or who may have any CCTV footage which could help the investigation is asked to contact Det Sgt Willcox via the police non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.