Disturbing new details emerge after 80-year-old woman deliberately set on fire outside home
Police have named an 80-year-old woman who had been set on fire on 9 November in Watford in the hope that someone will have more information about the attempt on her life.
Investigators believe that Brenda Raymond was deliberately set on fire as she returned home and that an accelerant may have been used in the process of lighting the woman on fire.
The emergency services were called at 12:47pm on Monday and responded to reports that a woman was on fire in a first-floor communal area of a block of flats in Caractacus Cottage View, Watford.
Brenda sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.
A search of the surrounding area indicated that a flammable liquid may have been poured through the letterbox of another flat in the building.
A public appeal for information has been made, as Hertfordshire Constabulary are releasing further details about the 80-year-old that may help jog people's memories or provide what they know to the investigation.
They especially want to know if anybody saw someone acting suspiciously between the hours of 10am and 2pm around Caractacus Cottage View on Monday, or if there was anyone with a face covering such as a mask or balaclava in the area.
Locals with doorbell or dashcam footage that may have spotted something are also urged to check if there might have been something which spotted a crucial detail such as someone fleeing the scene.
The police have a dedicated portal to report information, as well as an online web chat or calling 101 and telling them you want to talk about Operation Tibbin.
Anyone wishing to stay anonymous can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or get in touch with them online.
Detective Inspector Adam Bridges, from the Major Crime Unit described what happened to Brenda as 'an appalling and deeply distressing attack on an elderly woman', as he said that police would do everything they could to find out who set her on fire.
He said: "Her family are understandably distraught and have taken the step of releasing her name and photograph to help jog people’s memories around this distressing and highly unusual incident.
"Someone out there knows something. You may have witnessed suspicious activity, heard a conversation, noticed unusual behaviour, or captured something on CCTV or dash cam footage without realising its significance.
"Please do not assume that what you know is too small or unimportant to tell us about. It could be a seemingly insignificant piece of information that provides investigators with the breakthrough they need."
Urging anyone who might know what happened or had information they thought could help to come forward and provide it, DI Bridges said the 80-year-old being set on fire outside her home had been 'a shock to local residents' and promised that specialist officers were on the case.
Joe Harker
