Excitement in Walpole Road

 

 

Exictement in Walpole Road last night.  The indian restaurant on the corner of Chatterton Road and walpole Road, called the Sanpan,  the owner normally parks his car which is a soft top sports BMW outside the house next to me.  About 4am this morning,  there was an explosion that shook the house,  followed by a smoke alarm going off.  After listening to the smoke alarm for about a minute,  I looked out of the window and saw the car well abaze,  shooting hot metal showers accrosss the road,  with about 8 indians in night clothes about 20 yards away at a safe distance.  getting dressed, and going outside, I waited a full 10 minutes for the fire brigade,  by which time the car was totally ruined, and they just poured water on it, thus turning the thick black smoke into hissing white steam.  Both police and amulance attended,  and I''m sure it must have been some sort of fire bomb,  the explosion must have been the petrol tank exploding,  possibly as a result of a fire under the car slowly cooking the fuel tank.

 

Had a look this moring the car is covered by a tarpauline,  but there are scorch mark visible on the nearest wall,  evidence of bits of hot metal all over the road,  and the car looks to be about £25,000 of scrap metal.  There is a CC TV camera pointed along the pavement near the car,  but from it's position I think it is more aimed at anyone leaving the main door of the restaurant,  and will be of little use in this matter.