Firebomb thrown at imam's home in 'targeted' attack

CCTV footage of a masked man lighting a firebomb and throwing it at an imam's family home has been released.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was alerted to reports of a suspected "targeted" arson attack in the Sharples area of Bolton at about 21:20 BST on Wednesday.

The house in Eastgrove Avenue is owned by Hassan Patel, where the 42-year-old lives with his wife, four children and nephew. All seven escaped uninjured, said a force spokesperson.

Footage shared by the imam shows a masked man in dark clothes approaching the house before pouring liquid on a cloth and setting it alight. The attacker then smashes a window and squirts more liquid towards the property, causing the flames to grow.

A GMP spokesperson confirmed an investigation was under way and that no arrests had been made.

Patel said his family had been left "devastated by the serious and callous arson attack" which had "put lives at risk [and] caused significant damage to our house and emotional distress to our family including our children".

He said he was an "active citizen of Bolton and proactively engages with people of all faiths and no faith".

The imam said his family were "horrified as to why we were targeted" and had been left "feeling shocked and unsafe in our home - no individual or family should have to experience such fear and uncertainty".

Patel said: "We understand that the incident is not being treated as a hate crime," and appealed for "all possible motives" to be thoroughly investigated.

Det Ch Insp 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.

"Our enquiries to identify those responsible are ongoing, and we urge anyone with information that may assist our investigation to please come forward."

Speaking on behalf of Bolton Council, Councillor Hamid Khurram said: "This was a deeply distressing incident, and our thoughts are with the family and everyone in the local community who has been affected.

"While thankfully no-one was harmed, we fully recognise the shock and anxiety this will have caused across Bolton.

"At this stage Greater Manchester Police believe this was a targeted attack and there is no risk to the wider public, however we are working closely with partners to provide reassurance and support.

"We would ask residents to continue looking out for one another and to share any information that may assist the ongoing police investigation."

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