The owners of a car deliberately torched in Dundee say they have been "spooked" by the seemingly random attack that destroyed their family runabout.
The red Nissan Note burst into blames shortly before 11pm on Sunday in a case of what police are treating as wilful fire-raising.
Neighbours scurried to move their own cars out of the way as the flames consumed the car and torched a fence on Ashkirk Place.
The blaze gutted the car, destroying a child's car seat and toys in the back.
Images of the aftermath shared with the Record showed that the heat had been so intense as to melt the car's paint.
Its owners, a man and a woman who asked not to be identified, said they were at a loss as to why their car had been burnt out in the otherwise quiet suburb of Ballumbie, where they moved a few months ago with their young child.
"We thought it was going to be really nice and quiet here," the man, who works for an energy company, told the Record.
"We're not long moved here, we don't know anybody, we've got no friends here, and no time to socialise.
"I'm a bit spooked to be honest - completely baffled. We don't know anyone here and there's no reason for us to have been targeted.
"The police were asking if we had any kind of connection with drugs and we had to tell them they had the complete wrong end of the stick.
"I've got a degree in film studies and my partner studied anthropology. We're not those kinds of people."
Residents of Ashkirk Place dialled 999 on April 10 after seeing the small hatchback catch fire in a parking bay on the street.
The flames rapidly consumed the vehicle as firefighters tackled the blaze, arriving within minutes of the blaze taking hold.
Witnesses said they had heard a vehicle speeding away from the street in the moments beforehand.
Tyres popped and the door handles flew off from the pressure of the inferno.
The owner recalled: "I was sitting in the living room, headphones on, and heard my neighbour banging at the door.
"The flames were pouring out the bottom of the car and inside everything was just melted.
"The fire was nearly out but then caught something at the bottom and started up again."
He added: "I'd just been learning to drive the car so it had a lot of sentimental value.
"We had just bought it in the second week of February and it was our first family car.
"The most frustrating part of it is just it's happened for no reason. We need this car to get around.
"It's such an unnecessary stress. We moved here because it was quiet, but we're probably not going to stick around."
His partner believes the pair have been the unlucky victim of bored teenagers.
"I don't want to speculate but when we moved here and went to the playpark it had been burnt out too," she said.
"You have to ask, if this was children, where their parents are and if they know what they are up to."
A neighbour said the fire was the first incident of its nature she could recall.
She said: "I've lived here for over 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened. Everyone keeps themselves to themselves.
"My nephew was able to jump into my car, parked next to it, and move it out the way while the blaze was happening."
Another added: "It was quite scary to be honest - the car blew up once, the tyres went on it, something came flying off and hit another car.
"Forensics took it away right away. The police said it had been the first time they'd been called out here for five years."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to reports of a vehicle fire at around 11.15pm on Sunday April 10.
“It is being treated as wilful and inquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for the fire service said an appliance from the Kingsway Fire Station was dispatched.
They said: “We received a callout at 10.57pm following reports of a vehicle on fire.
“Crews used one breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet at the scene.”
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