AN ARSONIST poured petrol over a car and set it alight with a teenager still inside, police have said.

A man has been arrested after the attack on an 18-year-old in Fareham yesterday.

Officers are appealing for information about the incident at the Locks Heath Centre.

At around 3.45pm the victim was sat in his vehicle in the shopping village car park.

A vehicle pulled up alongside him and a man got out of the vehicle and approached the victim’s car. The offender then poured petrol on the victims’ car and set it alight.

The victim got out of his car and was unhurt but the culprit got away.

Detective Sergeant Damian Glendenning said: “I am appealing for anyone who was in the Locks Heath Centre at the time, who may have seen or heard something connection to this incident, to come forward and speak to us. We know there were a lot of people in the area at the time, so it is very likely a number of people witnessed what happened.

“We are treating this as an isolated incident.”

A 21-year-old man from Locks Heath has been arrested is in police custody.

Anyone with information should call Fratton CID on 101.