Smithy Family sent 'takeaways and prostitutes' before fire

CCTV footage shows two suspects setting fire to a Ford S-Max on the drive outside the semi-detached home of The Smithy Family between 10.30pm and 11pm on Wednesday night with a milk carton filled with petrol.

Nick Smith - described as a "pest in a vest" by neighbours - and his family, who have 2.6 million followers on the social network, believe their home was set alight because of their new found social media fame.

Dad Nick posted a video of the damaged car on Thursday morning Credit: TikTok/The Smithy Family

He says they will never be able to live in the house again.

Neighbours came to the family’s aid, helping carry their two daughters and six-week-old baby boy over the back garden fence to safety.

The family’s "funny" and "heartwarming" videos have attracted a large following - now over 2.6 million, since Mr Smith joined TikTok a few years ago.

But their new found fame has also attracted unwanted attention after their address was leaked their address online.

Lisa, 50, a concierge who lives next door, said: “I’ve known them since the day we moved in nine years ago.

“I was passing the kids over the back fence because they couldn’t get out the front door.

“They have two daughter Isabella, nine, Amelia, six, and a little boy teddy who is just six weeks old.

“Bells was crying, carrying Teddy in her arms, so that will stick with her life.

“If they didn’t have a back entrance they would never have got out.

“The house is completely black so I think they’ve been put in temporary safe accommodation.

“It’s not the first time they’ve had trouble with haters or whatever you call them.

“One day, they got 95 takeaways delivered and then they had prostitutes or escorts showing up at his house.

“He’s the first one to say he didn’t have the best childhood, but he did everything for his kids.

“He’s a pest in a vest, but he doesn’t have a nasty bone in him and we’ve been living here nine, ten years.

“There’s a guy online claiming he put petrol in their bins, but we know it’s not him because it didn’t start there.

“He’s a rough diamond, but he’s as good as gold.”

Firefighters worked incredibly hard to limit damaged to the inside of the house at a fire in #Welling. Our fire investigations dogs assisted investigators at the scene https://t.co/dtZJmZn2gU pic.twitter.com/sjflIyjKiW

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 15, 2021

Barry Sissons, 75, a former HGV driver who lives a few doors down, said: "We were on the night just getting ready for bed and then we heard a Big Bang and looked out the window and saw the flames.

“He normally has big skip outside full of wood so I asked if that’s what had caught fire, and they said no it’s the car.

“I just feel sorry for the family really, it’s horrible and doesn’t make any sense.

“I think he’s quite an entrepreneur, always building things.

“He built a big play area in the back garden and a swimming pool.

“Even the lady next door suffered and we felt the heat from the fire here.

“The fire was higher than that hedge, so probably seven or eight foot flames.

"When it started, the children had to climb over the neighbour’s back garden fence.

“Our shirts were getting covered in soot and it gets in your eyes.

“We’ve been here 46 years so we know them, but the fire was so intense, you couldn’t go down there and help.

“Two fire engines arrived and had to use an angle grinder to break through the gate up the street because none of us had the keys.”

Walking around his burnt out house with his partner today [FRI], Nick Smith, 33, said: “We’re trying to find the person who done it and there's someone on Snapchat whose posted pictures of him on the night.

“But there’s been multiple people doing it, trying to claim glory of burning our house down.

“Jess, my partner, was born in this house and our three kids have grown up here, and now, no matter what happens, we’re not going to stay here, after everything that’s happened.

“Now our address has been leaked and the takeaways and prostitutes there’s no coming back from that. Would you feel safe?

“We don’t see ourselves as famous or anything we’re just a family who’ve gained a bit of a following and we’ve been targeted.

“I just think it’s jealousy mate, most people would be happy for others when they do well, but others are jealous.

"Jack, my partner’s brother, was screaming 'Nick! Nick!' so I grabbed Teddy and Isabella.

“When I went back up to get Amelia, she’d climbed back up the bunk bed ladder and got back into bed."

Holding back tears, Mr Smith continued: “My daughter wants to come home.

“She doesn’t understand why we can’t come back.”

He added: “I jointed TikTok back in 2019 after my daughter refused to do any more TikToks with me.

“People are very loose on social media with their comments and for me, who hasn’t been on there very long, I think people can be really nasty.

“What they don’t realise is we read all the comments.

“At the end of the day it could have cost people’s lives .

“If that had been a petrol car it would have exploded and it would have been like a small bomb going off.”

The Smithy Family live in Bexleyheath

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze after London Fire Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took 16 calls.

Sub Officer Tim Sammons, who was at the scene, said: “We were called to reports of a car alight that had spread up the outside of the house.

“There were a number of mobility scooters parked outside which had caught alight and were producing a large amount of smoke and flames.

“Everyone was out of the building before we arrived, and crews worked incredibly hard to prevent further damage to the inside of the property and to neighbouring properties.

“Our fire investigation dogs also attended to help identify any ignitable substances present.”

The Brigade was called at 2256 and the fire was under control by 0030. Fire crews from Bexley, Plumstead and Erith fire stations attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Met Police.

A Met Police spokesman said no arrests have been made and enquiries are continuing.