Police chase after victim fled officers in Jaguar amid suspected arson attack on wheelie bins

A crime victim called 999 because his door was being kicked but then fled in a car pursued by officers in Cambridge, who later linked the man with a suspected arson attack on wheelie bins.

The unusual incident took place in Newnham in the early hours of Thursday morning after the man called 999 in a state of panic saying someone was battering down his door.



Officers arrived at the scene at about 2.20am and found a front door had been damaged but the man spotted them and sped off in a Jaguar pursued by police who then lost the trail. Then at 4:39am police were called to a suspected arson attack in an alleyway, where about five wheelie bins were on fire as well as garden fences.

Officers cordoned off the area as a crime scene but later discovered the cause of the blaze was accidental after something “hot” in a bin started the fire. A fire service spokesman said a crew was called to the fire at 4:38am. Firefighters brought the blaze under control and returned to their station by 5:40am. Police are investigating and are tracing the man who called 999.