Arson gang’s campaign of terror at family home (From Daily Echo)
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Arson gang’s campaign of terror at family home
4:00am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News
By Melanie Adams, Health Reporter
Marina Amiri and daughter Shabnan outside their home in Parsonage Road, Southampton.
A HAMPSHIRE family is being terrorised by a mystery gang who set fire to their home while six children were sleeping inside.
Nasser Amiri and his family woke to find their front door on fire – just hours after thieves trashed their Southampton home, stealing £400 in cash and jewellery.
It followed days of harassment by men trying to force their way into their home and the flat of the woman living below them in Parsonage Road.
They have been banging on their front and back doors, pretending to be policemen and demanding to be let in.
The family have no idea why they have been targeted by these men, who first appeared on their doorstep two months ago, claiming to be policemen.
On Friday a man forced his way into their neighbour’s house.
Screaming for help, Marina Amiri ran to her rescue and the man fled, stealing one of the bikes from the garden.
Twenty-four hours later a different man knocked on the door demanding to be let in, but again the family refused.
On Sunday, when the family returned at 9.30pm, they found their front door open, all the rooms trashed and cash and jewellery stolen.
Then, at around 8am yesterday, Mrs Amiri was getting her children’s school uniforms ready when she spotted smoke coming up the stairs from the front door.
The smoke alarm went off, waking the rest of the family and giving her husband the chance to put the flames out and get his family out safely.
Mr Amiri’s 14-year-old daughter Shabnan said they are now terrified in their own home, scared of what the gang will do next and leaving the younger children, aged five, four and two, too afraid to be in a room alone.
She said: “We don’t want to stay here because we are so frightened that they are going to come back.
“They have come back every day since Friday, so why would they stop now? We are terrified of what they might do next.
“I am scared and my little brother won’t even go in another room on his own because he is so terrified.
“We have no idea why they are targeting our homes. We get on really well with all our neighbours so we just can’t understand why this is happening to us. We just want it to stop.”
Police and fire investigators spent yesterday at the home gathering evidence and believe the fire was started by a liquid posted through the letter box.
Anyone with information about the arson or the men seen at the Amiri home should contact Shirley CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments(16)
UncleF
says...
7:10am Tue 9 Oct 12
hulla baloo
says...
7:29am Tue 9 Oct 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:They have been targeted since friday, but I cant see where it says the police have been aware since friday.
So what have the police been doing since Friday??
MGRA
says...
9:00am Tue 9 Oct 12
countrywench
says...
10:14am Tue 9 Oct 12
QUOTE ' She said: “We don’t want to stay here because we are so frightened that they are going to come back. '
That's a big family in one house . Probably get their wish now and be moved into a bigger property ..
southy
says...
10:38am Tue 9 Oct 12
The name Amiri as North African, Spanish Muslim connection.
The police need to get hold of these people quickly as posable, before they kill some one.
dango
says...
11:21am Tue 9 Oct 12
southy wrote:way to go with the speculation DCI Southy!
With a name like Amiri, I would be looking at the EDL, BNP or any other extreme far right wing group.
The name Amiri as North African, Spanish Muslim connection.
The police need to get hold of these people quickly as posable, before they kill some one.
windyboy
says...
12:24pm Tue 9 Oct 12
SouthamptonLegend wrote:I expect one will be along to say “We would like to reassure the public that this is an unusual and isolated incident. "
So what have the police been doing since Friday??
They seem concerned about PR than crime investigation.
teamgreen
says...
12:43pm Tue 9 Oct 12
southy wrote:why not check there own religion and country members as well.its a well known fact that kids and women are treated like second class or even lower in the muslim faith.daily there are repots of women and kids being killed in so called honor killings.
With a name like Amiri, I would be looking at the EDL, BNP or any other extreme far right wing group. The name Amiri as North African, Spanish Muslim connection. The police need to get hold of these people quickly as posable, before they kill some one.
now lets see how many people label me racist for telling the truth .
Monty3
says...
7:05pm Tue 9 Oct 12
MGRA wrote:Moronic comment!
coppers. set your lazy ar5es out of camera-cars and get down there and solve what is effectively attempted murder....
parsonage 1
says...
9:14pm Tue 9 Oct 12
maisie141
says...
11:12pm Tue 9 Oct 12
SotonLad
says...
12:38am Wed 10 Oct 12
parsonage 1 wrote:Woooooooh add a full stop son!
well i do think it strange that a property that has only recently been finished and has been being developed for the past 5 yrs seems to get this many problems in such a short space of time or is it those crazy developers that get away with doing what ever they like in southampton due to our curupt planing dept ive lived in the area for some yrs now and have never had any problems infact i moved away and came back this seems to be an isolated attack on the proprety not the people maybe it will become the next car wast in southampton to go with the 20 or so other ones that have poped up with seemingly no planning but still not nice for those involved but maybe the police should look closer to home instead of chasing leads to knowhere and just so you alll know the house have pc's @the property day and night but still my camra is on and recording now if nothing else we need to help and not hinder the police and there efforts
southy
says...
3:12pm Wed 10 Oct 12
teamgreen wrote:They are not Muslims, its just there name has that connection, you how bright the EDL and BNP are over such matters
southy wrote:why not check there own religion and country members as well.its a well known fact that kids and women are treated like second class or even lower in the muslim faith.daily there are repots of women and kids being killed in so called honor killings.
With a name like Amiri, I would be looking at the EDL, BNP or any other extreme far right wing group. The name Amiri as North African, Spanish Muslim connection. The police need to get hold of these people quickly as posable, before they kill some one.
now lets see how many people label me racist for telling the truth .
parsonage 1
says...
8:45pm Thu 11 Oct 12
maisie141 wrote:oh it i see seems you are very nieve as its the only property that has been targeted and not once not twice but 6 times in the last month.
@parsonage why are you blaming the developers?article states arson attack by mystery gang. the police are always in this area, there was even a stabbing not to long ago, if you think you are living in a trouble free area you need to get out more instead of sitting on your computer and putting the blame on developers helping to improve the area.
think you need to get out a bit to see what really goes on in this area wake up and smell the bent developers.
maisie141
just open the eyes god gave you
maisie141
says...
8:54pm Thu 11 Oct 12
parsonage 1 wrote:@ parsonagw ...no need to be so rude, but your right lets not blame the gangs that make a living by stealing and terrorising others, lets blame the developers who make an honest living. maybe the developers made a mistake by making the property the nicest on the street that makes it stick out? the fact you have to have cameras outside your house speaks volumes.
maisie141 wrote:oh it i see seems you are very nieve as its the only property that has been targeted and not once not twice but 6 times in the last month.
@parsonage why are you blaming the developers?article states arson attack by mystery gang. the police are always in this area, there was even a stabbing not to long ago, if you think you are living in a trouble free area you need to get out more instead of sitting on your computer and putting the blame on developers helping to improve the area.
think you need to get out a bit to see what really goes on in this area wake up and smell the bent developers.
maisie141
just open the eyes god gave you
SouthamptonLegend says...
6:27am Tue 9 Oct 12