ARSONISTS torched a motorbike less than 24 hours after a container at a school was set on fire.

Residents have expressed fears for their safety due to the growing amount and scale of the anti social behaviour in the neighbourhood.

On Wednesday, a motorbike was set on fire in Long Riding, Basildon.

Arsonists set the motorbike alight on a green just behind Fairhouse Primary School.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a vehicle fire at 4.18pm on Wednesday.

“The motorbike has been destroyed.

“We believe this fire was started deliberately.”

Witness, Michael Finn said: “I saw the fire at around 4.30pm, where there was a blaze of black thick smoke.

“The flames were about 15 foot high.”

The attack followed the incident earlier this week, when Fairhouse Primary School was targeted. Emergency services rushed to the school and it was found that arsonists deliberately set fire to a container on the school field.

Councillor Andrew Buxton said: “There’s a lot of antisocial behaviour in the area and residents have raised their concerns.

“They don’t feel safe because of this antisocial trend, which is getting worse.

“This has a knock on effect which means it won’t get sorted as quickly as we would like, but I will liaise with police and residents about a meeting to discuss this issue.”

Mr Barnes added his concerns about fires on school grounds and close to where children play.

He said: “This is a worrying trend which I will keep a close eye on. I urge whoever is doing this to consider the potential ramifications of what they’re doing. I will be working with police and go to schools to educate children on criminal behaviour.”