Masked individuals threw fire bombs at luxury cars and guests outside the Royal Shalimar restaurant on Highgate Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, setting a McLaren and Ferrari alight. The incident occurred during a wedding at the venue, with around 500 guests present.
Attack Details
Videos posted on social media show several people in masks hurling missiles outside the Royal Shalimar restaurant, which was hosting a wedding. A McLaren and Ferrari parked outside were targeted. One video appears to show a person lighting three bottles of liquid and throwing them across a busy road, while another runs towards the parked cars and pours liquid on two, which instantly go up in flames.
West Midlands Police said officers were called to the scene at around 8.30pm on 18 August after two cars were set on fire. The force reports that three men were spotted running down Mole Street before getting into a white Volkswagen Golf and driving off.
Witness Accounts
Other video clips taken from inside the venue show guests frantically asking for water to extinguish the blazes as fire engines arrive, while guests also kicked the bottles into the road, away from people and the cars. It appears that three fire bombs were thrown at guests and two at the sports cars while people were dining inside. There were around 500 guests attending a wedding, with more diners eating in the main restaurant below.
Venue staff later raced to put out the flames with fire extinguishers before fire crews and police arrived, said diner Fahim Kayani. "I was inside enjoying my meal when this very serious incident took place," he told BirminghamLive. "I was aware of a disturbance outside. The restaurant staff responded very quickly and put the flames out using fire extinguishers before the emergency services arrived."
"Everyone stayed very calm but it could have been a lot worse. There was a big wedding and lots of people around. Young people were stood not far from the cars that were firebombed, one kicked one of the missiles away before it could roll under one of the cars. One young child was just a few metres away. It could have been very bad indeed. The police need to find those responsible."
Police Investigation
West Midlands Police has issued a statement appealing for anyone with information to get in touch. It states: "An investigation has been launched after two cars were set on fire in Sparkbrook last night (Wed). At around 8.30pm, we were called to Royal Shalimar on Highgate Road. Three men were spotted running down Mole Street before getting into a white Volkswagen golf and driving off."
"Fortunately no injuries were reported. We have been speaking to witnesses and reviewing CCTV as part of our investigation. Anyone with information is asked to get in touch via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 quoting log 5308 of 18 August."
