The Times Guardian has launched a campaign to catch the Sheerness Arsonist.

The firebug has targeted 25 vehicles in a small area of Sheerness over two years, resulting in more than £60,000 of damage.

His or her actions have led to fear and heartache for scores of people – most of whom were sleeping in their homes just yards away.

As we aim to bring an end to the attacks, we have joined forces with Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue and Swale Borough Council.

All these agencies are committed to catching the arsonist and protecting vehicle owners from his or her callous acts.

Over the coming weeks, we will report on what is being done to track the arsonist down and what residents can do to protect themselves.

We also want the community to play its part in passing on any information they have and in publicising this campaign.

We have published the poster in the paper in the hope homeowners and business people will display it in their windows.

We want everybody to know of the importance of catching this person before somebody is seriously injured or worse.

DCI Nick Gossett, who is leading the hunt for the arsonist, says somebody somewhere must have information on who this person is.

He said: “It doesn’t appear this person is going out with the intention of injuring people, but fire puts people’s lives at risk. Someone might try to put out a fire or one of the firefighters could be hurt while tackling one.

And dealing with the arsons could delay the emergency services in getting to other incidents.

“What puzzles me is that there is no obvious motive for these fires. What is clear, however, is that someone knows the arsonist, whether it’s a parent, partner, friend or colleague.

“Maybe someone you know has come home smelling of smoke and has been evasive when you’ve asked them about it. Look carefully at the dates and times of the 25 fires.

“Is there a pattern? Do they ring any bells? Even if you have the slightest suspicion that you know who the arsonist is, we want to hear from you.

“We are pleased to be working with the Sheerness Times Guardian in this campaign and appeal to readers to help us catch the Sheerness Arsonist.

By working with the paper we hope to reach out to the whole community.

“We are using every tactic we have to detect these fires and one of the strongest links in the chain is the community. I’m confident that with the public’s help we will soon crack this case.”

Proud to be part of campaign

Sheppey firefighters have been at the sharp end – battling the blazes, making sure petrol tanks do not explode.

Fire station manager Mick Durkan said: “Deliberate fire-setting is a very serious and malicious action which can spread, causing widespread destruction and possibly leading to injuries or death.

“It is also a huge waste of our resources and has the potential to divert our crews from car crashes or house fires.

“We hope this campaign will not only catch the culprit responsible but will encourage the community to play their part as we all work together to crack down on this potentially devastating anti-social behaviour.”

Cllr John Morris, Swale council portfolio holder for community services, said: “It is vital in these circumstances that we join forces publicly to root out who is responsible.

"We strongly believe that by raising the profile of our collective work with the Times Guardian’s help, we can catch the arsonist.

“But it is about more than that. If everybody in the area makes a big effort not to leave rubbish out in the streets or alleyways then it may help to reduce the number of cars being attacked.

“Residents can also help by looking out for rubbish in their streets and letting neighbours know if they are putting their bins in the wrong place.”

If you have any information, call police now on 01795 419161 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.