Arson attacks on cars in the county cost taxpayers more than £50,000 last year, figures obtained by the Oxford Mail reveal.

Of the 493 car fires the county's firefighters tackled in 2007, 289 — 60 per cent — were started deliberately.

But Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and Thames Valley Police appear to be winning the war against the arsonists.

In the six months to June, 74 fewer cars were deliberately set alight than during the same period last year, with 191 incidents, of which 99 were arson.

In January to June last year, 275 incidents were reported, of which 173 were arson, while of 218 car fires in the last six months of 2007, 116 were arson.

Acting Supt Andy Boyd, of Oxford police, said the figures corresponded directly to a reduction in the number of vehicles stolen in the county.

He said: "When people steal cars, they will set the vehicle on fire for a variety of reasons — one of which is to destroy potential forensic evidence. Over the past two to three years, we have had significant success in combating theft of vehicles and as a consequence there has been a significant deduction in car fires."

Vehicle thefts in Oxfordshire between April and August were down 16 per cent on last year, from 546 to 458.

Det Supt Matt Jarman, of the force's auto crime unit, said improved car security, alerting the public to vehicle crime hotspots and maintaining contact with known offenders had all helped reduce vehicle theft.

He explained: "If we suspect someone has committed an offence we look to make an arrest. But if there aren't grounds to make an arrest, we keep the communication channels open."

Watch manager Guy Dunkley, from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue's arson reduction team, said the fire service had also helped reduce vehicle fires by working with district councils to remove abandoned vehicles as quickly as possible.

He said most deliberate car fires occurred in Oxford and Banbury but that the problem was nowhere near as bad as 10 years ago when there were five or six car fires daily.

He warned young people to think, before risking a criminal record "for 10 minutes of fun".

He added: "If there's a car burning in Barton, that's a fire crew who aren't available to cover a domestic fire in the centre of Oxford."

On average, each call to a car fire costs the fire service £192.85.

Yesterday, Bridgett Harrison-Steele, landlady at the Bullnose Morris pub, in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, spoke out after two vehicles were set alight just feet from her bedroom window.