Mum and son ‘so scared’ after garden fire in Lordswood

Xuan Hui was watching television when she heard a frantic knocking on her door, and a neighbour telling her to get out of the house.

She grabbed her 10-year-old son and escaped the family home in Sheldrake Gardens.

As she escaped, she heard a loud bang and saw the conifer trees in her front garden burst into flames.

The incident, which happened at 9.40pm on Tuesday night, is suspected by Xuan to be an arson attack after a shopping trolley was set alight in a park adjacent to her house.

But police have confirmed their investigation is ongoing.

The aftermath of the fire (Image: Newsquest) Speaking the morning after the ordeal, Xuan said: “I have lived here for eight years now and nothing like this has happened before.

“I was so scared; it was a huge fire.

“It looks like whoever did it started the fire in a Tesco shopping trolley outside my house, then it spread.”

Xuan said the fire service arrived at the scene shortly after, and the blaze was extinguished.

But she has been left to pick up the pieces and now needs to pay for the trees to be cut down and her fence to be repaired after they were torched.

“I want the people who did this to know how dangerous this was, and my son is now scared it will happen again”, Xuan said.

“Do not do this again, it is so dangerous.”

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The fire service confirmed crews from Redbridge and St Mary’s attended the incident.

The hedgerow fire, measuring approximately 10 metres by two metres, affected the property’s guttering and a plastic roof, only narrowly avoiding the house itself.

The cause is to be determined.

Neighbour Dave Whitcombe described the moment the fire started.

The 68-year-old, who has lived in the area for 50 years, said: “In all that time we have never had problems here.

“It is unbelievable we had a big fire like that, but it is lucky everyone inside the house got out safe.

“Last night, I saw loads of white smoke outside our house then heard a big bang and a whoosh before it went up in flames.

“It’s good the house has barely been touched by the fire, but it could have killed someone.”

Hampshire Constabulary were called to the scene after 10pm.

The force said no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.