A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a car belonging to the leader of Oldham council was firebombed. Police called the attack on Arooj Shah’s car a “reckless, abhorrent act”, and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. Shah, the town’s first female Muslim leader, had previously spoken about the many battles she has faced in her political career. In an interview with the Manchester Evening News after becoming leader in May, she said: “Throughout my political career I’ve always had a fair amount of hate and abuse, and that is for a variety of reasons. A lot of it is misogyny, a lot of it is racism, and all that is very, very hurtful.” Police were called just before 1.30am on Tuesday to reports of a vehicle on fire on in the Glodwick area of Oldham. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service attended, along with police, and soon established the fire was started deliberately. No one was hurt, but a neighbouring property suffered slight damage, Greater Manchester police (GMP) said. The 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, and remained in custody on Wednesday afternoon. DCI Wesley Knights of GMP’s Oldham division said: “This fire destroyed a vehicle and caused damage to a neighbouring property. It was a reckless, abhorrent act, and it’s fortunate that no one got hurt. “We will not rest until the circumstances around this incident are fully understood, and those responsible brought to justice. “While we have made an arrest, our investigation remains very much ongoing and I would like to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed anything, or have any information surrounding this fire to please contact police as soon as possible.” Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “This is absolutely appalling and I send my full support to @shah_arooj. It will be fully investigated.” Yasmin Qureshi, a Labour MP in neighbouring Bolton, said: “Sending my best and solidarity to Arooj Shah – no one in politics should ever face this. Hope you are as well as can be.” Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said: “She has the full support of everyone within the Labour family, from her colleagues at Oldham council to MPs across the country. “The outpouring of support from those outside of politics has also been heartwarming to see. “Arooj has faced disgusting abuse throughout her career as a councillor and she has always handled it with grace and dignity, but she shouldn’t have to.” Shah became leader when her predecessor, Sean Fielding, lost his seat to an independent candidate. A spokesperson for Oldham council said Shah was not commenting about the incident. Jim McMahon, the Labour MP for Oldham West and Royton expressed his solidarity with Shah and said: “The full weight of the law must be seen to bring those accountable to book.”