Police have launched an investigation after a boat was gutted by fire in an arson attack in Hampton Wick last week.

Shortly after 1am last Wednesday, March 28, witnesses reported hearing a bang and seeing a flash near Kingston Bridge, then a figure cycled away on the towpath towards Teddington.

A cabin cruiser, called Atlanta, moored alongside Barge Walk, quickly caught fire and houseboat residents on the Kingston bank saw leaping flames and secondary explosions.

Teddington lifeboat crew, four fire engines and 20 firefighters raced to the scene and the fire was out just before 3.30am, after fire crews cooled a propane cylinder which could have caused a huge explosion, The boat, which has been three quarters destroyed, threatened to sink due to the water used but stayed afloat and its hull may be salvageable.

No one was on the boat - which has been forensically examined by police - at the time of the fire and there are no reports of any injuries DC Simon Guy, of Twickenham police, said: "We are appealing for anyone who was in the area during the early hours of Wednesday, March 28. Did you see anything of the incident? Did you see anyone running away or leaving by bike or car? Did you see or hear anything suspicious?"

The owner of the boat, 43-year-old Alan White from Hounslow, found out about the fire later on Wednesday when, driving over Kingston Bridge, he looked over to see police cars and fire engines surrounding his beloved boat.

Mr White, a builder, said his family is devastated as they had just finished renovating the boat after mooring it for two years in Marlow.

He said: "It's like someone has pulled your guts out. My mum's in tears, she is a seamstress and made all the cushions and covers and curtains for the inside.

"It was something we had been working on for the future. We were going to go to France on it together, and now it's all gone."

Mr White's 16-year-old son TJ is just about to sit his GCSEs, and Mr White was not sure how to tell him last week that the boat they have worked on together is destroyed.

His mother Ann, 63 and father Ken, 68, live in Derby but came to London twice in the fortnight before the blaze to help Mr White bring the boat along the Thames to its final moorings in Hammerton.

The family moored the boat in Kingston last Monday, and Mr White was planning to complete the final leg of the journey last Wednesday.

He said: "I heard this is the quiet side of the river, we were only here for a couple of days. You just can't see why someone would do this."

Across on Riverside Walk, the owner of the Wild Raven houseboat Bill Brown, 54, saw the fire. He said: "I heard a thumping and thought it was just a bunch of youths causing trouble - I've got covers on my boat to protect the windows because we've had bottles thrown at us.

"I got up and the boat was blazing away, there were explosions coming off it. It's a real shame for them, it was a lovely looking boat."

If you have any information call 8247 5835 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.