Teens set London restaurant customers on fire after pouring petrol on them during attack

Two teenagers have been found guilty after they poured petrol over customers at an Indian restaurant before setting them alight in an attack that left multiple people with severe burns. The pair, who cannot be named because they are both 17, targeted Indian Aroma restaurant in Gants Hill, East London on August 22 last year.

The court heard that the teenagers drove to the restaurant armed with machetes after one of them stole several litres of petrol from a nearby petrol station. One teen taunted diners while his accomplice stood ready with a lighter as petrol was splashed across the floor, furniture and customers. Once the restaurant had been doused, a taper was lit, triggering a fireball that engulfed the premises.

Two victims were left in a critical condition with severe burns while several others suffered serious injuries. The pair fled the scene before emergency services arrived, driving away in a stolen Toyota Prius.

Detectives pieced together CCTV footage, traffic camera images and Automatic Number Plate Recognition data to trace the suspects' movements. CCTV captured one of the teenagers filling canisters with stolen petrol at a filling station, before the pair drove to the restaurant. Both teenagers were arrested around two weeks later.

Following a seven-week trial, both teenagers were found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and possession of an offensive weapon. They were remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced on October 2. Jurors heard they were part of a group that had set out to cause significant harm, although the motive for the attack remains unclear.

Detective Inspector Emma Sharp, who led the investigation, said: "This group tried to outmanoeuvre the police and avoid the consequences of their premeditated violence but today's outcome showcases that our detectives can unravel multifaceted incidents to secure justice and take dangerous offenders off our streets." She added: "The August attack impacted dozens of innocent people and I'd like to thank the victims and witnesses for their steadfast resilience since the incident and throughout the trial."