EXPLOSIONS were heard in Cookham on Sunday as three cars were torched in the Railway Station car park.

The cars were ablaze at around 4.07am in High Road and residents spoke of the loud bangs - believed to be the cars' fuel tanks going off.

Two fire engines rushed to the scene and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue said it is treating the case as suspicious.

Irene Killingback, of Maidenhead Road, Cookham, said she heard a loud "boof" as the first fuel tank exploded. She had been awoken by youths shouting in the street around 3.15am.

She said: "I heard a car screech off and then I went downstairs and made a cup of tea and it was approaching four-ish.

"When I heard this boof I recognised it as a fuel tank going up. I looked out and saw some smoke going and then I rang the fire brigade."

Mrs Killingback then heard a second explosion and decided to see what was going on. She believes youths were responsible and had run off in the direction of Westwood Green.

She said: "Cookham is usually a very quiet place. It is not often one hears this happening. Obviously you get the odd teenager being a problem like any teenagers but this is quite unusual and it is a shame for the people who owned the cars."

The cars were a Peugeot, a Ford Focus and a Volkswagen, which were left in the car park overnight. A small crowd of people came out of their homes to see what the commotion was all about.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "There was a large plume of smoke coming from the car park. We went over there and three cars were being hosed down by firemen. We think there were three bangs and one would think that is three petrol tanks. "

It is believed one of the cars was set alight and the blaze spread to the two other cars.

The incident is being investigated by British Transport Police who say no arrests have yet been made.

Simon Haley, communications officer, said the incident appeared to be related to other car fires nearby the same morning.

He said: "It is evident there had been incidents of other cars being torched on the same morning... we are investigating three vehicles that were severely damaged by fire."