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Crime novelist Andrew Towning fears life is imitating art after an arsonist torched his Porsche car in a copycat attack of one of his storylines.

The best-selling author believes the offender was inspired to set fire to his £18,000 Porsche Carrera after reading one of his Jake Dillon crime-thriller novels.

The blaze caused a small explosion and sent flames 10ft into the air.

In his 2010 book 'Shroud of Concealment', the lead character has his own Porsche 911 car blown up in the street after being targeted by a underworld crime gang.

Now Mr Towning fears he has been singled out by one of his readers following the attack at his home in Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset.