AN ARSONIST set fire to a car before the flames nearly spread to a nearby house's gas supply.

The car was parked 'very close' to the gas meter of the property in Grove Street, Halliwell but firefighters intervened in time to extinguish the flames before they spread.

The fire service was called to the scene at around 1.30am this morning.

The car was parked at the side of the house and the fire badly damaged the vehicle as well as guttering on the side of the house.

Chris Wilcox, crew manager at Bolton Central fire station, said that 'luckily' firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the house's gas supply.

A police spokesman said that they were called at about 2am today to reports of an arson.

Someone had smashed the window of the car and set fire to the inside which caused it to go up in flames.

A fire crew from Bolton Central was on the scene for around an hour.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 and quote crime number 135 of October 4.