Man set alight on bus

A man had petrol sprayed in his face and was set alight after a dispute on board a bus.

The victim, in his late twenties, suffered severe burns in the attack on a night bus in Edgware.

The incident took place after a disturbance between three or four white men who woke up a black teenager who was sleeping on the back seat.

He argued with the group before they left the upper deck, but one then came back upstairs and sat beside the teenager, who then sprayed the petrol into his face and set him alight.

Police have released CCTV images of the seconds leading up to the attack, which they said was not being treated as a racial incident at this stage. In the first image the victim, who is wearing a lightcoloured jacket, is seen grappling with his attacker.

Seven seconds later the attacker, wearing a black Nike jacket, turns on the victim and throws the container of petrol seen in his left hand into the man's face.

Ten seconds later the attacker is pictured in the final image walking down the upper deck to get off the bus and the victim's hand, which is on fire, can be seen in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame. The attack happened in the early hours of 13 November on the N16 bus from Victoria to Edgware as it passed through Edgware High Street. The suspect is described as 18 and 5ft 6in. He was wearing a dark hooded top, dark trousers, the black jacket and a peaked cap. He also had headphones and was carrying a black rucksack.

The victim, who has not been named, is still in a specialist burns unit.

Detective Constable Keith Melton, who is leading the investigation, said: "Whatever the circumstances of the initial disturbance and the actions of the original group of males, there can be no justification for spraying petrol into a person's face and setting light to it.

"We would urge anyone with information to come forward, including the original group of males, whom we wish to trace. Your information will be treated in confidence."

Anyone with information should call 020 8733 3420 and ask for CID, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.