THE community of a Bradford village has smashed a fundraising target to buy a new car for a church verger, whose car was destroyed in an arson attack.

The 24-year-old Peugeot belonging to Susan Laycock, of Brighton Street, Thackley, was destroyed by vandals on Monday, February, 20.

Ms Laycock, 69, who is a verger at Idle Holy Trinity Church, used the car to serve the community, and said the attack had left her feeling “numb”.

Her car was torched at around 5am in the car park of Ms Laycock’s sheltered accommodation, in Joseph Wright Court.

Following the attack, Brenda Kimber, a friend of Ms Laycock, set up an online crowdfunding page to try and raise £2,000 to buy a new car.

In just ten days, she said the initial target has been smashed, with the current total on the site standing at £2,130, and more money raise offline.

Ms Kimber said: “We have raised about £3,000 in total, I haven’t got the final figure yet.

“That includes donations not made online. It’s brilliant and I am very pleased with the reaction of the community, it’s been really good.”

Ms Kimber said she received one anonymous donation of £1,000 towards the new car.

“We are very grateful and want to offer our thanks, it’s made a big difference.”

“We have put some feelers out for a new car, Susan has said she wants an automatic which is making the search take a bit longer.

“I think we have had such a good reaction because she is such a lovely lady who is very well known.

“There have been some wonderful comments left on the crowdfunding page which I have written down for Susan to read.

“Getting her car back is going to give Susan her freedom back.”

Ms Laycock had been hoping to celebrate the car’s 25th anniversary later this year, and said she was sad it had been destroyed because it had been given to her by “a wonderful lady”.

When she first heard about the crowdfunding page, she said it made her emotional.

She said: “I’m surrounded by a wonderful group of people at the church, my church family, who are supporting me.

“Everyone has been amazing, all my friends at the church have really helped.”

As part of her job as a verger, Ms Laycock used her car to take people to appointments alongside her role organising services at the church.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said inquiries are ongoing into the attack, which also damaged two other vehicles.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Bradford East Neighbourhood Team on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.