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Fleeing arsonist runs into lamp-post

An arsonist’s escape was thwarted by a lamp-post after a bungled attempt to petrol bomb a pub in Crawley.

Amir Ali, 28, and another unidentified man attempted to set fire to the Imperial pub in Crawley, West Sussex, in the early hours of 28 May 2008.

Ali threw two bricks, breaking a window, while his accomplice threw a petrol bomb that accidentally hit Ali and engulfed him in flames.

Fortunately for him, the fire immediately died away, but in his panic he ran straight into a lamp-post and hit his head as he tried to escape.

Afterwards he went to the Crawley walk-in medical centre for treatment to his head injury. There he was linked to the attack by investigating officers.

Ali, from north London, denied the charge against him, but forensic evidence and CCTV footage helped to convict him.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .