A heart attack survivor says he feels “stressed and harassed” after an arson attack on his home in Poynters Road, Luton, on Sunday.
Gary Rogers, 40, was terrified to find his flat filled with smoke when he returned from his partner’s house at about midday.
It appeared three newspapers had been placed through the door and set on fire, but fortunately a blaze failed to take hold.
Mr Rogers said: “I don’t know if they were expecting me to be in, but police told me it was an attempt to endanger life. In my condition especially it’s not good for me to be in a panic. Things like this have happened before – I’ve had people kicking my door in, abuse shouted at me. I feel harassed, like it’s a campaign of hate against me.
“I can’t have my lad to visit me because his mum won’t let him come, she’s too scared what might happen to him. I’m scared, it’s not nice.”
No one was injured as a result of the fire, but PC Laura Thompson, who is investigating the attack, is keen to hear from anyone who was in the Poynters Road area during the times mentioned and may have seen anything suspicious.
She said: “Thankfully no one was harmed as a result of this arson attack and damage has been kept to a minimum, but if the newspapers had caught fire properly, things could have been very different. We need to catch the person or persons who committed this offence as soon as possible and stop any further serious incidents from occurring.
If you have information relating to this incident, contact PC Thompson, in confidence, on 101, or text information to 07786 200011. You can also call Crimestoppers: 0800 555 11.