Three children have been arrested after a gang met up with a 12-year-old girl in Letchworth and set fire to her.

The victim reportedly had deodorant sprayed on her before being set alight in broad daylight on Saturday (June 29), Herts police have confirmed.

Between 2.30pm and 4pm, the victim, who lives in Letchworth, met up with a group of children she knew and was assaulted in the Garden Square Multi-storey Car Park on Rowland Way.

She suffered first-degree and second-degree burns to her right arm, and her hair was damaged.

Her devastated father said: "It's not something you ever expect your child to have to go through.

"My daughter is traumatised. I'm thanking God her hair didn't go up and she's not dead.

"It's horrific. What has happened to her is horrific."

The victim will need follow-up appointments at a burns centre, her dad said.The victim will need follow-up appointments at a burns centre, her dad said. (Image: Supplied)

He said his daughter was taken to Lister Hospital in Stevenage, before being transferred to St Andrew's Centre of Plastic Surgery and Burns in Chelmsford.

She has since been discharged, but will need several follow-up appointments, he said.

The dad, who is heartbroken and angry, said he wants to "arrange therapy for his daughter as soon as possible", to help her process the trauma and protect her mental health.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire police said: "Following fast-time enquiries, a 12-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault (GBH), and a 12-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl were arrested on suspicion of common assault.

"All three have been released on police bail while the investigation continues.

"Anyone with information is asked to please call police via 101 or report online, quoting crime reference number 41/52899/24."

You can also report information online at herts.police.uk/report, or via the online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact.

Alternatively, you can stay anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

The victim's dad has said he won't rest until justice is done for his daughter. 

"I'm not going to drop it," he vowed. "If, as a society, we allow this to happen, how far are we off chaos?"