A barber shop in Merrylands, Sydney, has reportedly been targeted by an arsonist for the second consecutive night. Authorities responded to a fire at the establishment on Merrylands Road just after 4am yesterday.
CCTV footage revealed a man dousing the shop with what appeared to be petrol before igniting it, inadvertently setting himself on fire in the process. The footage showed him rolling on the ground in a frantic effort to extinguish the flames affecting him.
In a related incident early today, at around 3.10am, police tried to intercept a silver Hyundai i30 with false registration plates on Sherwood Road in Merrylands West. However, the pursuit was aborted due to safety concerns, and officers continue to search for the vehicle.
At roughly the same time, emergency services were alerted to another fire within the barber shop, which fortunately did not result in significant structural damage before firefighters arrived.
A crime scene has been established, and police are appealing for information from the public regarding the incidents.