Ian North's work ute destroyed in arson attack

Cr North was woken by the ute's alarm about 1.50am on Thursday and looked outside to see smoke coming from his Mitsubishi Triton, parked on Mitre Street.

By the time he got to the vehicle flames were leaping from the windscreen and driver's window and he rushed to grab a garden hose.

As his wife Lisa, called police, Cr North tried to extinguish the blaze with the help of a passerby who leapt from his own car carrying a fire extinguisher.

Firefighters arrived to complete the job and stop the fire spreading to other vehicles or properties, but Cr North's ute was destroyed.

Police found a petrol can on the front seat of the vehicle and have seized the burnt-out ute for further investigation.

"There were about four cars lined up in a row on the street so police said they would seize it because the attack seemed very deliberate," Cr North said.

"I just don't get the mentality of someone who would do this; if you have a problem with me come and see me.

"They haven't scared me but I'm pissed off for what they have done to my family."

Cr North said the attack had shaken his 85-year-old mother who lives with him, and also stressed his wife.

While he has been racking his brain trying to think who the culprit might be, Cr North is also aware he may have seen him on the night.

"Afterwards I realised that when I came out to the car, I looked up the street and there was a silver car under one of the lights and a person standing there looking at me," Cr North said.

"At the time I just grabbed the garden hose and started spraying the car but it came back to me when the police officer was asking later if I had seen anything.

"I was probably looking at the person who did it. The police said you would be surprised how many people stay around to look at what they've done."

Cr North thanked the police who were handling the case and also the passerby who stopped to help.

"I still don't know his name but he was up really close to the car," Cr North said.

"That really showed a lot of courage."