The shop burst into flames (Picture: SWNS)

A halal butcher shop was destroyed after someone hurled a petrol bomb inside, hitting one of the workers.

Police said a white man was captured on CCTV walking into the Kashmir Meat & Poultry and throwing a burning bottle filled with highly flammable ‘accelerant’.

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Thankfully, the man working there who was hit with the fire bomb escaped with just bruises, but the shop itself was gutted by flames.

Local people said they had no doubt the attack was related to the EU referendum result, which has sparked a string of racist incidents across the country.


The shop was destroyed (Picture: SWNS)

The horrific attack on the Muslim shop in Walsall, West Midlands, happened at 5.25pm yesterday, four days after Britain’s decision to leave the EU was announced.



Catalogue of racist abuse following Brexit is terrifyingIts front windows were blown out and the walls covered in black soot.

Mary Walker, 67, from Pleck, said: ‘I am sure it will be related to the referendum result, I have no doubt.

‘I have overheard people making comments to Eastern European residents and Muslims that they should go home now.’

The shop was badly damaged (Picture: SWNS)

A local Muslim grandfather, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals, added: ‘We are thankful that no-one was seriously hurt but we could easily have been looking at a death.

‘The Muslim community around here is very much on edge at the moment.’

The petrol bomb hit a man working inside (Picture: SWNS)

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West Midlands Police did not confirm they were treating this as a hate crime, saying they were keeping an open mind about a potential motive.

Spanish and Turkish restaurants in Lewisham have had their windows smashedThey appealed for anyone with information or who saw the white man (around 6ft tall and wearing a blue jacket at the time) to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Dozens of people have reported racist abuse since the referendum.

Reports to a police hate crime website increased by 57% in the days following the result.