Fourteen cars have been set on fire in the same road in a spate of arson attacks in Oxford.

Sub Officer Gary Coupar with the wreckage of two burned-out cars in Coppock Close, Headington Quarry

Firefighters have joined forces with the police to try to find the culprits after some fires spread to buildings.

An official Crimestoppers Arson Alert has been declared by emergency services after the number of vehicle fires dealt with by Oxford's Slade fire station more than doubled, from an average of 10 a month to 22 in May.

Of those, 12 were in the Headington Quarry and Barton areas.

Crimestoppers has issued warning signs to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service which have been put up around Headington, appealing for information about the blazes.

In Headington arsonists have attacked vehicles and in Marston firefighters have been called to rubbish fires in skips and bins.

Police have been investigating the attacks on cars and were due to hold a meeting on June 19 to decide what action to take.

Leading firefighter Marcus Reay said: "The chances are it's young people messing around who start these fires, but we want to stamp on it before it gets any worse.

"In Marston Ferry Road we have had 14 fires in nine days, with instances of as many as three in one day. That's well above average."

Sgt John Clayton, of Oxford police's auto crime unit, said: "It's a problem, predominantly in the Headington area.

"We will be having a crime series management meeting on June 19 to examine our findings and decide how to tackle it."

He said the cars were thought to be untaxed vehicles dumped by owners who did not want to pay a new environmental charge to get them scrapped.

Sgt Clayton said officers might decide to launch another Operation Cubit, which picked up untaxed cars from the streets of Oxford earlier this year. The vehicles were crushed.

He said: "We have had problems with untaxed, dumped cars being set on fire before, and picking them up and crushing them was effective."

One of the latest attacks was in Old Headington at about 3am on June 14 when a car fire spread to a tree and a garage in Old High Street.

Dr Bent Juel-Jensen, who is in his 80s, and his wife, Mary, who is in her 70s, said the garage at their home was damaged.

Mrs Juel-Jensen said: "Our garage was damaged and a tree was set alight.

"Fortunately it didn't affect our car, which was in the garage, but the garage windows cracked and the other car was destroyed."

Another fire, in St Mary's Road, Cowley, on June 18 is also being linked to the arsonists.

An anonymous Headington resident said: "In the past week our car has been broken into three times.

"We've been in the pub on these occasions. We've come back to our car at 10pm to 10.30pm and the window has been broken.

"We've driven the car round to the back of our house and by 3am or 4am, the fire brigade has been called out to put out fires in other cars. On each occasion our car and another two cars have been broken into.

"We're absolutely livid, but luckily our car has escaped being torched so far."

Anyone with information about the arson attacks can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.