A PETROL bomb was thrown at a Hampshire home in what police say was a deliberate and targeted arson attack.

Emergency services descended on Widley Court, in Fareham, after a lit bottle of accelerant was thrown at the property.

Fortunately there was minimal damage to the house and nobody was hurt – the only evidence yesterday of what had happened was blackening to the doorstep.

The Daily Echo spoke to a woman at the property who did not want to comment other than to describe what had happened as “awful”.

Residents said that a family lives there – a couple believed to be in their 40s and their young daughter, thought to be aged eight.

They spoke of their shock and confusion at what had happened, describing the family living there as “lovely”.

Margaret Fokinther, 75, said: “I saw the fire burning on what I thought was the doorstep and then everybody was around.”

She described how the door was open and smoke was going into the house and how several people, including the occupant, put out the flames by stamping on them.

“I can’t understand it at all, it’s a lovely area normally,”

she added.

Resident Dee Symons, 74, said: “The whole house could have gone up.

“They could have killed someone, we could have been planning funerals.”

Darren Bevan, 42, said that he heard commotion and went out to find the fire already out.

He said: “All I heard was there was someone walking past who’s just thrown a bottle and casually walked off.

“If everyone had been asleep the outcome could have been completely different.

“They could have killed someone.”

Police, who said that the address and its occupants were targeted specifically, are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious or has information following the incident, at about 9pm on Friday, to come forward.

Call Det Con Sam Gee at Fareham police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.