Arsonists destroy car of former council leader

ARSONISTS burned out a car belonging to the former council leader David Jones’s wife, Jean Jones.

The Toyota Corolla was written off after the Saturday night blaze on the drive of the couple’s Ashton Crescent home in Chadderton.

Councillor Jones, now Shadow Cabinet member for children, young people and families, was alerted when a neighbour spotted flames. Another neighbour put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher.

The vehicle, which costs £14,000 new, was parked on the drive around 11pm when the arsonists struck.

Councillor Jones said: “We called the fire brigade to make sure the fire was out, but the car was written off.

“Someone had smashed the rear quarter light and set fire to the interior. We were at home, but no-one heard or saw anything.

“It seems an odd place to choose if someone set it on fire for a bit of fun.

“Whoever did it had to come up the drive in sight of a number of houses. But at the end of the day, nobody was hurt. A car can be replaced.”

His wife, Jean, is a ward councillor for Medlock Vale and works for Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth.