FIREBUGS targeting East-leigh have put a car dealer on the brink of closure after an arson spree in which five vehicles went up in flames.

Two cars standing on the forecourt of Eastleigh Trade Centre in Dutton Lane were torched by arsonists on Monday night causing £4,000 damage which could spell the end for the two-week-old venture.

Another vehicle was set on fire in Southampton Road the same night and two weeks ago two vehicles were torched in nearby Chickenhall Lane.

Police are launching an operation to halt the spree and catch the arsonists.

Sgt Julie Fry said: "We have identified a problem which we will look into and look at what resources we can direct at it to nip it in the bud."

Pete Johnson, sales director at Eastleigh Trade Centre, fears that the fire damage already caused might put him out of business.

He said: "We are a new business and we have forked out all the money we could to get it off the ground and £4,000 is a big chunk so we need to have a really good week to get over it or we could face closing."

As a defiant gesture and shrewd marketing ploy the company temporally kept the fire-wrecked cars on its forecourt as adverts for its 'smoking deals' and 'hot prices'.

"Hopefully they were eye-catching and as they say no publicity is bad publicity, and we need to get as many customers in here as possible just at the moment. We don't want the vandals to think they have got the better of us," said Mr Johnson

Security at the showroom has been stepped up with new gates and razor wire on walls.