A boat moored on the River Soar was completely destroyed after arsonists set fire to it in the early hours.
Firefighters were called to an incident near Freemens Meadow Estate, opposite the King Power Stadium, just before 3am today.
A small motor boat, which was located behind Leicester Rowing Club, in Upperton Road, was well alight when firefighters arrived at the scene, although there was no-one on the boat. A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said crews struggled to get access to the boat, which was severely damaged and had begun to sink.
Eventually, they managed to manoeuvre the boat back to the bank and extinguish the fire.
Crews left the scene at about 3.30am.
The fire service is liaising with Leicestershire Police to try and locate the owner of the boat.
The incident is under investigation and police are speaking to any witnesses.
