A man has been arrested after a man was set alight as he walked home from a mosque in Birmingham on Monday night (March 20).
The victim, who was walking home from Dudley Road mosque, was approached by a man on Shenstone Road in Edgbaston just after 7pm. He spoke to him briefly before spraying him with an unknown substance.
His jacket was set alight, causing burns to his face. The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries which are not believed to be life threatening.
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On Tuesday afternoon (March 21), a man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Dudley Road. He was identified by officers who were in the area carrying out inquiries following the attack.
The suspect remains in custody. Chief Supt Richard North, Commander at Birmingham police, said: “Our officers have been working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible.
“We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are using all resources available to us. We are keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker and we won’t speculate further at this stage.
“We’re examining CCTV and speaking to witnesses. I’ve been speaking to people this morning, and so I know just how concerned they are and that people are after answers. We are determined to get those answers as soon as possible, and I’d urge the community to work with us and to avoid any speculation at this stage.”
Extra officers will be in the area today to speak to the community and to provide reassurance. Chief Supt Richard North continued: “Our investigation continues with support from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU who have access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“We have officers patrolling the local area to reassure people and we are visiting local faith establishments to keep them informed. We would ask the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to us.
"We are aware of a similar incident in the Ealing area of London and we are working with the Metropolitan Police Service to see whether they are linked."
Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch on 101 or alternatively, get in touch via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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