THE former Mayor of Worcester’s car has been torched by arsonists.

Councillor Allah Ditta’s Mercedes 4x4 was damaged after an oily rag was lit beneath its rear axle at about 4am, yesterday.

The car was parked on the street outside the family’s terraced home.

The fire also damaged a Seat Toledo car parked behind Mr Ditta’s vehicle.

Coun Ditta is currently in Pakistan on a humanitarian trip but his wife Naseem Akhtar, sons, daughters and four grandchildren were at home in Richmond Road during the incident.

His daughter Parveen Akhtar said she was awake looking after her unwell mother at the time the fire started. “My sister noticed the fire first and we called the fire brigade,” she said. “I was so scared. It’s the kids that are really upset.

“Earlier in the night somebody had been banging on our back door.”

She said there had been seven incidents where the family’s cars had been targeted in the past five years and it always happened when her father was out of the country.

“It’s somebody who knows when he’s away. Last time it happened my parents were in Germany,” she said.

Speaking to your Worcester News by phone, Coun Ditta said he was forced to move his family from Washington Street five years ago when they had trouble there, but incidents had continued ever since. He said: “It’s sad that people would go to this extent. It’s upset my family and my humanitarian work abroad. It’s a worry.”

Coun Ditta represents the city’s Cathedral ward and was mayor between 2004 and 2005. He is due to return from Islamabad this week.

Alec Mackie, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service spokesman, said: “Somebody put an oily rag under the car’s rear axle. Flames damaged the car and spread to another vehicle but we put that out in a few minutes.”

A police spokeswoman said officers were treating the fire as arson and searches of neighbouring streets were being carried out.