AN investigation is underway into an arson attack on a house – 15 months after the same property was hit by a firebomb.

Police in Darlington have refused to link the two attacks and said they will not speculate on whether or not they are related to a feud between members of the town's travelling community. 

Scenes of crime and fire investigators were present at the house on The Mead in the town, close to Yarm Road, on Thursday morning.

It is understood a rear porch had been set alight with firefighters alerting police due to the suspicious circumstances.

On Thursday morning an officer stood guard outside the property which had vehicles parked inside its boundary.

A middle-aged man, who was accompanied by a woman at the scene, reacted angrily when approached by The Northern Echo and told a reporter to go away.

A nearby resident said: "We don't know what has happened, but it woke us up during the night, all the flashing lights and sirens."

Workers at a car wash opposite suggested the house had been unoccupied, but was in the process of being renovated.

Two plain clothes police officers later arrived and could be seen pointing up at the property.

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “We were called to reports of a property fire in Yarm Road, Darlington, at 1am today (Thursday, August 31).

“The premises was unoccupied.

“We are currently treating the incident as arson and investigations are continuing.

“Anyone with any information in regards to the fire or who saw any suspicious activity in the area at the time is asked to contact police on the 101 number, quoting incident number 19 of August 31.”

The Northern Echo:

Police and fire investigators at the scene of an attack on the same property last year. Photo: MATT WESTCOTT

In March last year the same property was attacked and an accelerant used to start a fire in a doorway, causing severe damage to the front door and a window.

The occupants at that time were not at home.

Police said a link to an ongoing travellers feud in Darlington formed part of their investigation into last year's attack.

The arson attack at The Mead property is just a few doors down from where a stolen lorry was reversed into the front of a house in Lynton Gardens.

It had been reversed across the garden before demolishing the front bay window and part of the wall. 

No-one was injured in the incident in November 2015 and no arrests were made.

When the Echo asked police whether the two attacks on the same property were linked and part of a feud, the Durham Police spokesman added: “The investigation is in its infancy and it is too early to say whether the incidents are linked.

“Similarly, we will not be speculating about whether it is traveller related or not. We are exploring all lines of enquiry.”