A FAMILY fled for their lives after arsonists set fire to a luxury car and the flames spread to their home.

Fazila Adam, her husband, Asif, and their four-and-a-half-month-old baby daughter, Rumaysah, managed to escape through the front door before the emergency services arrived.

Fire crews were called to the family home in Glendale Drive, Ladybridge, at 10.30pm on Sunday.

Arsonists had targeted a £35,000 silver Mercedes C220 on the driveway, smashing the windows and pouring petrol inside before setting it alight.

The fire quickly spread to a Peugeot 406, which was parked next to it, and was starting to reach the front of the detached house.

Mrs Adam was getting ready for bed. Her husband, aged 31, who has a newsagents in Horwich, and daughter were already asleep when the arsonists struck.

The three other occupants, Zubeda, Soyeb and Anisa Adam, who are relatives of the couple, were out at the time.

Mrs Adam, aged 23, said: “It was a horrific experience. I heard a bang, a really loud noise, then another one.

“I looked out of the window and the car was in flames, they were really high.

“My husband tried to put it out with water while we got out then the fire brigade arrived.”

The family escaped unhurt but the 58-registration Mercedes was destroyed, along with the older silver Peugeot.

The garage door and front door to the house were also damaged in the incident. The couple’s Vauxhall Corsa and a van were not damaged.

Mrs Adam said: “If you want to do it to something materialistic, fine, but bear in mind something could happen to the people in the house. I was petrified.

“I cannot believe someone would stoop this low — it is scary.

“Anyone with any information needs to come forward.

“If they had done it through the letterbox, that would be us gone. It really shook us up.”

Watch manager Richard Mortimer, of Bolton Central fire station, said: “This could have been much more serious because it had started spreading to the house.”

Police are investigating.

cherry.thomas@theboltonnews.co.uk