Bolton imam's home firebombed by masked thug as footage shows terrifying attack

Bolton imam's home firebombed by masked thug as footage shows terrifying attack CCTV shows a masked man attacking an imam's family home in Bolton where he lives with his wife, four young children, and nephew Footage shows flames erupt as a terrified family's home was firebombed by a masked attacker. The incident took place on Eastgrove Avenue in the Sharples area of Bolton last night (Wednesday) where a person, who was wearing a helmet and dark clothing, could be seen running onto the driveway of the home before setting it ablaze. Imam Hassan Patel, 42, lives at the property with his wife, four young children and his nephew. "I am shaken by it all really, and the children are shaken. It is a quiet community. We have not had any issues before," he said. Mr Patel is the principal for Islamic Education at the Taiyabah Masjid mosque on Blackburn Road and an imam at Masjid e Aish on Seymour Road. He said police were investigating. "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," he told the Manchester Evening News. No one was hurt in the blaze at just after 9pm. In the footage a person can be seen holding a bag in one hand, and another item in the other which he pours liquid onto. The object then bursts into flames on the driveway of the home and it is thrown towards the front of the home. The person then smashes a window at the front of the house and more liquid is poured onto the fire, which quickly spreads at the front of home. The clip then captures the male grabbing the backpack and running from the driveway. Mr Patel's son, Umair Yusuf, 19, told how the blaze was quickly put out after one of his younger brothers used buckets of water and a hose pipe. Umair said: "My mother, two brothers and sister, and my cousin, were in the house. The neighbours reported that 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. He put the fire out from the outside as my brother, cousin and mother put the fire out with buckets of water. "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. Umair said: "We are all traumatised and so are the local community. The police have said they are investigating at the moment. 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 vey close. It is like one big family and they showed us that yesterday when we were all standing together. It could have been a whole lot worse. If it had happened at night and we were all sleeping, who knows what might have happened." A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Just after 9.15pm on Wednesday 10 June, fire crews from Bolton North and Farnworth attended a house fire on Eastgrove Avenue, Bolton. “Crews arrived quickly and worked alongside Greater Manchester Police to make the area safe. No casualties were reported. Firefighters departed after approximately an hour and a half.” The Mirror has contacted Greater Manchester Police for a statement.