Patrol cars set alight outside Abbots Langley police station
A man who set two patrol cars on fire outside a Hertfordshire police station has cost the taxpayer "thousands", police said.
CCTV footage showed him smash the rear side windows of the cars, which were were parked at the Abbots Langley police station at 03:00 GMT on Monday.
He threw a flammable substance into each one, causing "substantial damage".
The offender is described as tall, thin and white, and carrying a green jerry can in an ASDA bag for life.
He was wearing a long blue Puffa jacket with the hood up and black trousers.
Appealing for anyone who knew anything about the "serious and unacceptable crime" to come forward, Ch Insp Catherine Akehurst said the force was delivering "service as usual" from the police station.
"I would like to reassure the public that this incident has not affected our operational policing capacity within the locality," she said.
Det Con Gordon King said: "This has caused several thousands of pounds worth of damage which will not only cost the taxpayer, but could potentially have led to a much more serious incident if the fire had spread or the petrol tanks had exploded."