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The moment a fumbling arsonist tried to torch a nightclub - and set fire to himself
Last updated at 23:07pm on 22.02.08These pictures show a fumbling arsonist attempt to petrol bomb a busy nightspot only to set fire - to himself.
The hapless criminal had been sent by motorbike to torch the club in a revenge attack.
But he hit trouble when he threw his Molotov cocktail at the front door - only to accidentally spill petrol from it on his leather biker's jacket.
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The arsonist attempts to throw the Molotov cocktail at the club and ends up spilling petrol on himself
When he hurled a lighted match, not only did the front door of the nightspot go up in flames, he was himself turned into a human torch.
Shocked CCTV operators who witnessed the attack in Atherton, near Wigan, Greater Manchester watched as the arsonist jumped around the street in agony trying to extinguish the flames as they leapt around his body and bike.
On lighting the match, the front door of the club is set alight ... as is the fumbling arsonist
Eventually he managed to the put the flames out and limped off in great pain with his machine. He tried to start the bike again but it wouldn't go and instead he had to push it home.
No-one was hurt in the blaze - except the arsonist - but customers who had been smoking outside had to run for their lives to escape the blaze.
Staff and customers inside the Decibel nightclub on Market Streetclub grabbed a fire extinguisher and managed to douse the flames before they spread.
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He manages to extinguish the flames and gets back on his motorbike in great pain
One police officer said: "When we sat down to watch the CCTV coverage for the first time we couldn't believe our eyes. It would be vaguely comic if it were not the fact that fire is such a danger.
"On the footage a passerby had to run for his life when the nightclub doors went up in flames and as there were staff and customers inside the club at the time the result of what this arsonist did could have been so much worse.
"The arsonist himself could have died. He realised straight away when he set the club on fire that he had torched himself in the process.
"He was jumping around the street trying to put the flames out and when he finally did that all he wanted to do was make a quick getaway. But even his bike wouldn't start again.
"As arson attacks go this was a real damp squib for him. I bet he must have been in agony when he pushed his bike away. Further down the street he seemed to be kicking the pavement as if blaming it for all his ills."
Greater Manchester Police said the attack occured at about 4am on Saturday 19 January 2008.
The offender was wearing dark clothing and a dark helmet, and riding a dark coloured moped. The petrol bomb, recovered at the scene, was believed to have been made out of a plastic garden-style spray bottle filled with a flammable liquid.
Officers have now obtained footage of the incident which clearly shows the offender riding up to the front of the nightclub and attempting to splash it with petrol.
He then set fire to the petrol, igniting himself in the process.
Sgt Dave Johnston of Greater Manchester Police said: "This was a reckless and dangerous act which could easily have claimed the life of the offender.
"However, he managed to extinguish the flames and slowly left the scene, probably in some pain.
"We want to know if anyone recognises the biker, or his motorbike. Also, does any remembers someone coming home that night possibly smelling of petrol or with singed clothing? "
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