A disabled father-of-one says his “lifeline” has been taken away after his car was petrol bombed in Norwich on Monday 27th February in the morning.

Jason Clarke, who suffers from emphysema, was woken by his neighbour shortly before 6am to find that his red Vauxhall Astra had been set alight.

The 45-year-old immediately ran outside of his Clifton Street flat and attempted to fight back the flames with a fire extinguisher.

But by the time it was brought under control, with the help of the fire service, his car had been completely gutted.

Mr Clarke said the vehicle was needed for almost every aspect of his life, including taking his 11-year-old daughter to school.

He explained: “The car is a lifeline for me, I can’t go anywhere without it.

“My daughter needs to get to school every day, and I need it to get food shopping and take the dogs out for exercise.

“I can only walk 10 to 15 metres before losing my breath because I have 20 per cent lung capacity.”

Mr Clarke, who has had emphysema - a chronic lung disease - for 15 years, said he had no idea why his car was targeted.

But he claimed to have seen four youths hanging around the stairwell near his flat after he had come back from walking the dogs.

After the fire had been put out, he saw that his driver’s side window was smashed and a broken bottle was on the seat.

He also found the remains of a “rag”, which smelt of petrol, inside the vehicle.

A police spokesman said an investigation had been launched and the incident was being treated as arson.

Mr Clarke, who owns two English bull mastiffs said: “I’m a disabled single parent and this is not what I need. I’d only had the car for a couple of years.

“I had my wallet and phone in there, so that is £240 gone already.”

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service was called to the incident at 5.30am on Monday 27th February and sent one appliance from Earlham.