ARSONISTS torched two cars and a tractor in yet another spate of attacks.

Dozens of firefighters tackled blazes that engulfed two cars in Weymouth and a tractor near Dorchester.

The incidents occurred between Thursday night and early Friday morning.

One car was destroyed while the tractor and other vehicle were left severely damaged.

Dorset Police are treating both car fires as linked arson attacks and investigations are ongoing.

Crews were called to a slip road on the A35 Puddletown Bypass near Tolpuddle at 10.30pm on Thursday to find a tractor on fire.

Firefighters and police attended the scene and said the cause is thought to be deliberate.

Two other blazes gripped a red Ford Ka and a red Mazda Demio in the early hours of Friday morning.

They are the latest in a series of arson attacks throughout the area in which numerous vehicles have been targeted.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “We received a call about two vehicle fires in Weymouth in Littlemead and Lorton Lane and they are being investigated together as arson.”

Steve Curtis, of Lorton Lane, was shocked when a neighbour woke him up to tell him his brother’s car was ablaze.

He said: “My brother Terry left his car for us to look after while he and his family have gone on holiday.

“I was so shocked when a neighbour rang me in the middle of the night to say his car was on fire.

“I ran outside and moved my own car out of the way.

“We heard of another car being set alight around the corner and I just can’t think why anyone would do this.

“The people who did this do not realise the kind of hassle they cause.

“Terry is a carer and is such a nice person, he doesn’t deserve this. It is ridiculous.”

He added that he had not yet broken the news to his brother as he did not want to ruin his holiday.

Many residents alerted fire crews to the blaze which left the car severely damaged in the fire Resident Rita Payne, of Lorton Lane, said: “We heard a couple of loud bangs that woke us up.

“We looked out the window and my husband called the fire crews.

“It is awful.”

Another car was torched and destroyed around half an hour later in the neighbouring Littlemead.

The owner of the car, a woman of the nearby Dorchester Road in Weymouth, was unavailable for comment.

Resident Pat Griffin, of Dorch-ester Road said: “I can’t believe anyone would do this, it is just pointless.”

Crime Scene Investigation officers attended both Weymouth roads the following morning.

Big response from firefighters

Firefighters from Weymouth, Dorchester and Bere Regis helped tackle the three blazes across the area.

A spokesman said: “At 10.30pm on Thursday the service received a number of calls reporting a vehicle fire on the slip road on the A35 near Tolpuddle.

“The cause of the fire is thought to be deliberate.

“Fire crews remained on the scene with police officers until the scene was made safe.”

Crews from Weymouth Fire Station tacked two car blazes in the early hours of Friday.

A spokesman said: “At 1.20am on Friday we received a number of calls about a vehicle fire on Littlemead.

“It is thought the fire was started deliberately and the vehicle was destroyed by fire.”

“At 1.45am the service received a couple of calls reporting a vehicle fire on Lorton Lane. It is thought to have been started deliberately.

“The vehicle was left severely damaged. The area was made safe by 2.25am.”