TWENTY people were evacuated when arsonists set fire to car under a block of Brighton flats.

Residents from eight-storey Swallow Court in Whitehawk were led to safety after the firebugs torched a Ford Escort XR3i just after midnight last night. Flames damaged two flats, and the building was smokelogged. Awoman resident who had recently undergone heart surgery was treated at the scene by an ambulance crew for shock and smoke inhalation. Firefighters from Roedean and Preston Circus tackled the blaze and ventilated the building. Fire officer Bruce Townsend, of Roedean fire station, said: "This was a very stupid act that brought a lot of distress to people." Insp Geoff Thomas, of Brighton police, described the arsonists' actions as "total madness." He added: "Such wanton damage of motor vehicles is hard to understand, but this situation, where people's lives are put at serious risk, shows an utter lack of respect for human life." Firefighters were also busy across Brighton dealing with a number of attacks on other cars. At 9.40pm a stolen Sierra was dumped and set alight in Eastergate Road, Moulsecoomb. At midnight a stolen car was torched in Moulsecoomb Way. At 6am today a Vauxhall Astra was dumped and burned in Carden Avenue.

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