A masked thug was caught on CCTV unleashing a terrifying arson attack on the family home of a community imam.
Horrifying footage shows the man lighting a fire in front of the house before smashing a front window and spraying the flames inside with a can of propellant.
The attacker, wearing a black helmet and tracksuit, is then seen running away from the scene in the Sharples suburb of Bolton.
Police say the attack, which happened at 9.20pm on Wednesday, was targeted and potentially lethal.
Hassan Patel, 42, lives at the property with his wife, four young children and his nephew. He wasn’t in at the time but spoke of his shock.
‘I am shaken by it all and the children are shaken,’ he said. ‘This is a quiet community. We have not had any issues before.
‘Everybody is concerned. They are asking why this has happened. The police are investigating. We want to thank everybody who has sent messages. We really appreciate the community coming together.’
Mr Patel is a local imam and the principal for Islamic Education at the Taiyabah Masjid mosque and Islamic Centre in Bolton.
His son Umair Yusuf, 19, told how his mum, brother and cousin put out the blaze with buckets of water and a hosepipe.
He said: ‘My mother, two brothers and sister, and my cousin, were in the house. The neighbours said there were two individuals dressed all in black driving up and down the street on a motorbike. One of my brothers was outside at the time.
‘He saw they saw him and looked at him. We feel that it was racially motivated. We feel that it was targeted to this house.
‘One person stays on the motorbike and the other intentionally walks up and calmly did what he did. He knew exactly what he was doing.
‘My younger brother heard a noise and the smashing of windows. He quickly got a hosepipe and brought it outside. He was screaming.
‘The immediate threat of the house being burnt down was put out before the fire service came.’
He said neighbours came out onto the street to support them.
‘We are all traumatised and so are the local community,’ he added. ‘My father is very well respected by a lot of people in the community. There were a lot of people here in solidarity with us.
‘The community is very close. It is like one big family and they showed us that yesterday when we were all standing together.’
In the footage, the attacker is seen pouring liquid on to an item before setting it on fire on the driveway. He then throws something to smash a front window before grabbing a bottle of propellant and spraying it through the flames into the broken window.
Greater Manchester Police said patrols are being stepped up and appealed for witnesses.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples said: ‘Incidents like this are not acceptable in our community and no one should be made to feel threatened or intimidated.
‘Thankfully, no one was injured. However, the consequences of this suspected arson attack could have been very different.
‘We understand this incident may cause concern within the community. We are working to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We believe this was a targeted attack, and there is no risk to the wider public. Officers will be providing reassurance with visits in the community throughout the day.’
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service also went to the house to ensure the fire was out.
