THE OWNERS of a Toothill pub targeted by arsonists have spoken of their shock.

The Toothill Tavern, formerly known as the Toot and Whistle, could have been burned to the ground after three bottles of flammable liquid were thrown through the window of its function room.

Police are now hunting the offenders who attempted to light the liquid, believed to be petrol, by throwing cigarettes at it. Fortunately, it failed to catch fire, but was only discovered by the pub's owners the following morning.

Landlord Michael Coombs, 32, and his wife Stacey, 31, say their family could have been killed if the attack had worked as planned.

The couple have run the pub, in Toothill Village Centre, for 20 months and say they have worked hard to restore its good reputation.

They believe the attack was carried out by young people rather than any adults with a vendetta.

Mrs Coombs said: "The attack was such a bungle we think it must have been young people because an adult would have done it properly.

"We've worked really hard to clean up the pub's image by installing CCTV and hiring a full-time chef to offer meals, and now this happens.

"If you bar someone they might be a bit cross for a week or two, and maybe a window will get smashed perhaps, but we have not barred anyone for more than a year and cannot see why this would happen.

"This morning I was very shaken up. The fact that my whole family could have been killed really hit me."

The couple have three children, Daniel, eight, Jonathan, five and Tayla three. All three sleep in the flat above the pub and their bedroom is the nearest to the function room targeted by the arsonists between 4pm on Thursday and 10am on Friday.

Mr Coombs added: "This was quite drastic. If the room had been set alight it would have gone up quickly.

"I don't believe it could have been an adult, though, because whoever did it made such a bungle."

Inspector Bill Halsey, of Swindon Police, said: "We are taking this attack very seriously because it certainly had the potential to have been a fatal incident.

"We would appeal for any witnesses or anyone who had heard anything about the attack to come forward."

Witnesses are asked to contact PC Lee Prince on Swindon 528111.