Two stores in a Melbourne suburb have been rammed and set alight by the same car in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
A convenience store on Willaton Street in St Albans and a milk bar on Maplewood Road in King’s Park were both struck within 10 minutes of each other.
Police said the hits left “significant structural damage” to the Melbourne stores before they were set alight.
A vehicle was first seen reversing into the convenience store just after 2am before it was set alight, sustaining smoke and fire damage.
Witnesses told police they saw two vehicles drive away from the scene.
Shortly after, the same offenders reversed a black Toyota Kruger into a milk bar on Maplewood Road in Kings Park, a neighbouring suburb.
Police said the inside of the store was doused with accelerant before it was set alight.
Officers were told there was an explosion of flames before the fire petered out.
Police believe the vehicle was stolen from Kings Park on Sunday and had stolen number plates on it.
It was left at the scene and the offenders are believed to have fled in another vehicle described as a light-coloured 4WD.
Detectives will now investigate the two scenes and explore the possibility of links to any other recent fires.
Melbourne has seen a huge uptick in attacks on stores across the city, with frequent reports of shopfronts being rammed into by cars and set alight.
Some of the attacks have targeted nightlife venues, tobacco shops, restaurants, convenience stores and cafes.
Any witnesses or people with dashcam footage of the latest incidents have being asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.