A BOAT owner told today how he woke to see a "ball of fire" floating down the River Ouse towards him after a suspected arson attack on two motor yachts near York.

The incident in the early hours left two boats wrecked. One was burnt at its moorings while the other sank after breaking free and drifting downstream.

Firefighters turned out to the blaze at Ferry Lane, Bishopthorpe, at about 12.40am.

The motor yachts were moored next to each other when one burst into flames. The fire quickly burnt through the cords tying them together, spreading to the other boat.

The second boat then came adrift, floating down the river ablaze. Firefighters were unable to rescue the craft, which sank, while the remaining boat suffered extensive fire damage.

Firefighters said they suspected the blaze had been caused by arsonists, but Sergeant Colin Ventress, of York Police, said that had not yet been established.

A boat owner, who did not wish to be named, said he was asleep in his vessel moored to the riverside when he was woken by another boater telling him of the fire.

He said: "It was just a ball of fire. One of the boats was drifting towards us, and I was ready to fire up and move out of the way.

"The fire brigade arrived at that time."

He said that the boat, about 45-feet long, had then sank in the middle of the river.

He blamed teenagers for the blaze.

"We have a lot of trouble down here with teenagers. They just have no respect anymore."

He added that after mooring a boat at Bishopthorpe for the past ten years, it was the first time he could recall one being burned in this way.

He said both the fire-damaged boats were owned by a man from Leeds.

Another boater, Philip Puckrin, from York, said: "There's been a bit of bother from time to time. I had my shed broken into in the summer. They snapped the lock and threw things around, but didn't take anything.

"I also had a rowing boat taken. They went down the river and sank it next to the crematorium. People saw them throwing bricks at it."

British Waterways patrol officer Stephen Dulling said boats were vulnerable to attack and urged members of the public to contact the police if they saw anyone acting suspiciously near a river.

He said: "This is something to take very seriously because people do sleep on their boats. It's like coming home and finding your house has been destroyed."

Mr Dulling said there were some precautions boat owners could take to protect their boats, such as disconnecting the gas.

Updated: 10:49 Wednesday, October 15, 2003