Police end investigation into arson attack despite CCTV showing thugs set fire to car

Yahoo

5 hours ago

The victim of a suspected arson attack has hit out at police over what he describes as 'lack of action'.
Rashid Ali watched in horror as his car went up in flames outside his home on Alexandra Road in Walsall.
The fire was deliberately started in the early hours of the morning on Friday, July 4, and Mr Ali says that his family - including children - could have been killed.
Thankfully, he and his loved ones made it out of the property safely.
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But in the weeks since, West Midlands Police have not arrested anyone for the crime and have since put the case on file.
This is because police believe the investigation has "been progressed as far as possible," an email to Mr Ali stated.
The email, seen by BlackCountryLive, adds that despite CCTV picking up people and vehicles related to the crime, the images are too poor to identify anything useful and the culprits are wearing masks.
The force email adds that Mr Ali has a right to request a review of the decision.
Mr Ali said that he is now considering a peaceful protest over frustrations with police.
He added: "My vehicle, which was parked on my driveway, was deliberately set on fire after petrol was poured over it.
"This was a calculated and dangerous act of arson that could have endangered lives, not just property.
"As a law-abiding citizen, I have always respected the rule of law and cooperated fully with the authorities. But I now feel badly let down by the very institutions responsible for our safety.
"Despite CCTV footage capturing the suspects and two involved vehicles — a car and a motorbike — the police have claimed they are unable to identify them due to poor image quality.
"This raises serious questions about the capabilities of our surveillance infrastructure.
"It is 2025, and yet the CCTV in Walsall is apparently still not advanced enough to identify suspects or read number plates during a serious criminal offence."
He said that this is a "failure of responsibility" by the police.
Mr Ali continued: "The public pays taxes to fund these institutions. When those very institutions cannot protect us or deliver justice, it becomes a serious breach of public trust.
"Are the people of Walsall truly safe? If offenders can commit arson and vanish without a trace, despite being caught on camera, what does that say about our security and law enforcement systems?
"The vehicles used in this crime must have travelled from somewhere and returned somewhere. The claim that there are no leads, no ANPR hits, and no usable CCTV is hard to accept and suggests that the investigation has been conducted carelessly and without urgency.
"This is not just about my car, this is about the safety of every resident in Walsall. If this crime had resulted in loss of life, would the outcome be the same?
"I am now actively considering organising a peaceful public protest in Walsall, to highlight the growing frustration and fear within the community, and to demand accountability from our local leaders and police services.
"This was an attack not just on me—but on the public's faith in the very institutions that claim to protect us. I urge West Midlands Police to consider this case, escalate it to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and commit to a real, transparent investigation."
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We have been in regular contact with Mr Ali to update him about our investigation which has been thorough.
"An investigation is never closed. We will always investigate any new information that is shared with us and we would urge anyone who may have any information to please contact us on 101 quoting crime reference number 20/297011/25.
"Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."