Halal butchers petrol bomber caught on CCTV

Detectives investigating an arson attack at a Walsall shop have released CCTV footage of a man igniting two petrol bombs moments before they are hurled through the entrance.

The clip shows the suspect − wearing a distinctive two-tone blue hooded top − lighting the bottles at a bus shelter in Wednesbury Road, Pleck, at 5.25pm on Monday (27 June) before running off camera.

Since the attack − that saw a halal meat store suffer extensive fire damage − investigators have said they are keeping an open mind over the motive.

But latest enquiries suggest that, contrary to media and social media speculation, the incident was not a racially or religiously motivated hate crime.