Racist Serial Arsonist

cymrococh · May 2, 2006

http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNew...D=7&newsID=5270

Detectives are hunting a racist firebomber believed to be behind attacks on stores which left one man dead, it was disclosed today.

The suspect has been linked to three separate attacks on stores run by Asians in south London over the past three weeks, including one in Clapham Road, Kennington, on Thursday which claimed the life of Khizar Hayat.

Mr Hayat was burnt to death when he was trapped in the convenience store following the attack in broad daylight.

A second man in the shop at the time remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Detective Superintendent Dick Heselden of the Metropolitan Police said: "In the absence of any other possible motive, I'm working on the basis that these are racially motivated attacks."

He added: "We must catch him before he commits another arson attack in which someone else may be killed."

Mr Heselden said they began looking for linked incidents immediately after the attack in Kennington, where a thick-set black man threw a Molotov cocktail style device into a Costcutter shop on Clapham Road at 3.30 pm.

Police witnessed the incident from a police station a short distance away and gave chase but lost the suspect.

Mr Heselden said they had now identified two other attacks thought to be linked.

The first took place at a newsagents in Tulse Hill on April 14 at 1.30 pm when a bottle filled with accelerant was thrown into the premises and struck the legs of a customer, who suffered burns. No-one else was injured.

The second incident took place at an off-licence on Portland Road in South Norwood on April 20, where again a lit bottle filled with petrol was thrown into the premises, but those inside managed to get out in time.

In all three attacks, the method had been almost identical and the description of the suspect had matched, according to Mr Heselden.

He is described as black and barrel-chested, aged in his mid-30s and between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 8ins tall. He has a large, wide head and close cropped or shaved hair.

Mr Heselden said: "We are very concerned that this individual may offend again.

"It's my opinion that we're dealing with a serial firebomber who is targeting small Asian businesses."

Mr Heselden said the motive for the attacks appeared to be ethnic rather than connected to faith, because victims had included Muslims and Hindus.

Mr Hayat - a father in his late 40s who had lived in Britain for some years - was originally from Kashmir in Pakistan, while others targeted had been from Sri Lanka.

There were four people in the Costcutter store at the time of the attack on Thursday, and two who ran out through the front entrance suffered only very minor injuries.

However, Mr Hayat and another man tried to flee through the back door, which was locked. By the time fire crews managed to force entry, Mr Hayat had suffered injuries which led to his death shortly after arriving at hospital.

The second man is still in a critical condition.

Ian Hughes, of London Fire Brigade, told the press conference at Scotland Yard that all shop owners should make sure they knew the quickest way to get out of their premises in an emergency.

"They must ensure at all times that the means of escape are available, unblocked and people can get through them."

On Friday police released e-fit images of the suspect for the Kennington attack, and witnesses from the other incidents have said they are convinced it is the same person.

The man has been spotted wearing a dark-coloured top with a pale grey band across the middle, and detectives believe he is local to Croydon or the Lambeth area.

Each firebombing took place in broad daylight - at 1.30pm, 7.25am, and 3.30pm.

Mr Heselden said: "Clearly we are dealing with three firebomb attacks in three weeks. We need everyone's help in trying to identify and catch the individual responsible."

Ostrich Man · May 2, 2006

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