THIS is the man who terrified an Asian family by setting fire to shelving at their newsagents in a racist attack.

Aziza Patel was serving at her father Iqbal's M and I News, Hereford Road, in the Whitebirk area of Blackburn, when the incident happened. Miss Patel said it had left her in fear and too scared to sleep.

Police said the man entered the shop at around 11.30am and attracted Miss Patel's attention because he lingered around some shelving near the door for almost half a minute.

He then left the shop and rode away on an electric blue mountain bike. Meanwhile Mr Patel managed to get the burning shelf into the street. Father and daughter put out the fire before the fire service could reach the scene.

Police said it appeared a lighter or cigarette had been used to ignite a packet of crisps.

Miss Patel said it was the fourth attack on her family last week. The others included car damage, graffiti on walls, and racist abuse.

The newsagents was attacked again later that day at 5pm as an arsonist tried to set fire to an upstairs bedroom where Mr Patel and his family live. It left the area badly smoke damaged.

Police said they were now certain different people carried out each attack on the newsagents. They hope the photo-fit will get people to come forward and help them catch the man responsible for the first incident.

He is described as 5ft 10in, of slim build, with very pale skin and dark stubble.

He was wearing dark coloured trousers or long shorts, a dark coloured baseball cap and a bright, almost fluorescent green sweatshirt, tied around his waist.

Police also want to speak to a customer who was in the shop at the time. The Patel family say she is a regular customer, white, and 50 to 60 years-old.

Police said anyone with information, which would be treated in confidence, about the man or women should contact DS Paul Broxson at Blackburn CID on 01254 353567.