Sheffield woman feels unsafe in her own home after arson attack and attempted break-in

Lucy Broadhead, a 24-year-old dental nurse from Deepcar, was getting ready for bed at about 10.20pm on Wednesday when she saw a man in dark clothes approach her house on Cambridge Road from a vehicle parked on nearby St Matthias Road.

She said: “I had a feeling something wasn’t right and I went to my bedroom window and saw a male coming up the drive dressed in dark clothing. He was kicking the garage door.

"I was froze to the spot because I didn't know what to do.”

Retrieved CCTV footage shows another man also carry out the attack. The pair smashed the rear window of Lucy’s £16,000 Fiat 500, which is less than a year old, before setting it alight.

Lucy said: “Police said it was arson with intent to hurt me based on the fact they were trying to get into the house.

"I’m shaken up. I’ve had not slept a lot since the incident. When they set the car on fire it was a really big flash bang. I was scared it would explode and the house would catch [fire].”

Lucy has suspicions about the motive of the attack and is helping officers with their investigations.

Concerned neighbours removed her from her house to safety during the fire. She had been home alone while her partner Dan was at work.

Police have seized the car for forensic examinations along with a black petrol can found inside the vehicle. Lucy has been told it will likely be written off because of the extensive damage to the interior.

She said: "I don’t really know what to do with myself. I question how safe am I actually, who’s trying to hurt me. I’m in the process of having my letter box removed or covered up. If they can do that I don’t really see what they can’t or wouldn’t try.

“I’m quite fearful to be in the house or even leave because I don’t know who’s out there or who wants to do this to me.”

No arrests have been made so far, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident number 924 of 10 February.