Two 17-year-old teenagers have been convicted of arson with intent to endanger life following a firebomb attack on a packed Indian restaurant in East London that left two diners with severe burns. The attack occurred at Indian Aroma on Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill, on the evening of Friday, August 22, 2025.
Fireball attack caught on CCTV
Harrowing CCTV footage shows the pair, who cannot be named due to their age, dressed in black and armed with machetes as they stormed the restaurant. One teen taunted customers while his accomplice stood ready with a lighter as petrol was poured indiscriminately over surfaces. Once doused, the teenager lit a taper, igniting a fireball that engulfed the establishment within seconds. Diners fled for their lives, with two suffering critical burns and others severely wounded.
Police investigation and arrests
Met Police investigators found footage of the suspects fleeing the scene and entering a nearby Toyota Prius. CCTV and traffic camera footage tracked the car traveling from Peckham to Barkingside earlier that evening. After leaving south London at 7:07pm, the vehicle parked near a supermarket, where one defendant stole several litres of petrol by pouring it into cannisters. The car then drove to Gants Hill for the attack.
Within weeks, detectives located the stolen Prius and discovered the spout of a petrol cannister inside. Mobile phones found in the vehicle enabled officers to identify the suspects. The teenagers were arrested two weeks after the attack, and clothing recovered—including a pair of trainers and a balaclava—matched items seen on CCTV.
Conviction and sentencing
Following a seven-week trial at the Old Bailey, the 17-year-olds were found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and possession of an offensive weapon. They will be sentenced on Friday, 2 October. The jury heard that the pair were part of a group that plotted the arson, though the motive remains unclear.
Detective Inspector Emma Sharp, who led the investigation, said: “This group tried to outmanoeuvre the police and avoid the consequences of their pre-mediated violence, but today’s outcome showcases that our detectives can unravel multifaceted incidents to secure justice and take dangerous offenders off our streets. 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.”
