LONDON: Police in the UK are hunting a masked man who carried out an arson attack on the family home of an imam in northern England.
Hassan Patel, principal for Islamic education at the Taiyabah Masjid in Bolton, released a security camera video showing the terrifying moment the front of his house was covered in flames. A masked man is seen starting a fire outside the home before smashing a window and spraying flammable liquid inside.
The daylight attack on Wednesday evening came amid a recent surge in far-right unrest in the UK fueled by anti-immigration rhetoric.
Police described the incident as a “targeted attack” and said there was no risk to the wider public. All occupants of the house managed to get out safely with no injuries and the fire was extinguished.
Patel said his family had been left devastated by the attack.
