A £1,000 reward is on offer to anyone who can help police catch arsonists who torching six cars in Dovercourt.

Four cars were set alight on Brooklyn Road shortly after 1am on Monday, with two other vehicles catching alight as a result.

Two Vauxhall Astras, a Renault Clio, a VW Golf, a Fiat 100 and a Ford Fiesta were damaged, along with a garden fence on Oakland Road and a garage attached to a house.

Insp Chris Willis from Essex Police said: “We are carrying out a number of enquiries to find out who started these fires and why they did. It appears to be mindless vandalism so we would be keen to hear from anyone who can help.”

A £1,000 Crimestoppers reward is available for those who have information which leads to the arrest and charge of those responsible.

Ann Scott, Crimestoppers eastern region manager, said: “Dovercourt is a safe place to live so this incident has really shocked and concerned the local community.

“If you have information about who was involved, then you have nothing to fear by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously. It could help prevent further attacks.

“You could even claim one of our routine rewards of up to £1,000.”

Only information given to Crimestoppers via its phone line is eligible for the reward.

To pass on information call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, fill out a form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org, or call Essex Police on 101.