Mum of Eleanor Williams fears Range Rover was deliberately 'torched'

Allison Johnston saw smoke when she climbed into her £20,000 Range Rover Evoque and it set alight seconds after she got behind the wheel, national media reported.

She managed to get out of the vehicle as it became engulfed in flames.

It was parked outside her home at Walney's Teasdale Road. 

Mrs Johnston has opened up on feeling terrified that the fire may be the result of a deliberate arson attack.

She told The Sun newspaper: "It's terrifying to think someone might want to do me and my family harm.

"That's definitely my fear, that someone did this on purpose to cause me harm.

“I have been told it could have been deliberate and I assume it was torched.

“It’s possible it was an electrical fault and I am hoping that that is the case - I don't like to think there are people out there capable of doing this.”

The fire happened around 8.30am on Wednesday and is being investigated by Cumbria Police.

Her daughter is serving an eight and half year prison sentence after she was found to have made false claims of being trafficked and raped by an Asian grooming gang and other men.

Her claims caused outrage in Barrow after she took to Facebook on May 20 2020 to share a 1,300 word post alleging she had been trafficked by an Asian gang since the age of 12.

She had already been charged with perverting the course of justice when she published it and earlier this year was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Preston Crown Court. 

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "Police were called at 8.29am (March 29) following a report from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service of a vehicle fire on Teasdale Road, Barrow.

"Nobody was hurt in the fire.

"Officers are liaising with Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service and enquiries are taking place to establish the cause of the fire.

"As with any incident, we would always ask people not to speculate online.

"Anyone with information can contact officers at www.cumbria.police.uk - you can also phone on 101."