A PETROL bomb was thrown into a family shop in Burnley while shoppers were inside.

Firefighters had to rescue an Asian family of four from the convenience store in Daneshouse Road after a man threw a “homemade flammable box” into the premises.

The shop was trading when the incident happened at 9.20pm whilst the owner’s wife and two children were inside the property where they live.

Detective Inspector Sion Hall, of Burnley CID, said: “We are treating this incident very seriosuly, because anyone who sets fire to a building with peopole inside is something extremely dangerous.

“The shop is located in quite a busy area so we are hopeful someone saw something.

“At this moment, we do not know the motive behind the attack, but we know an unknown man opened the front door and threw what seems to be a box which burst into flames.

“The two shoppers who were inside managed to get out uninjured but the smoke damage to the shop and the stock was quite extensive.

“The package was homemade.”

Though CID described the fire as a deliberate attack, officers said they did not believe it to be a hate crime.

Two fire engines attended the scene from Nelson.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said: “Two fire crews were sent to the shop and they tackled the fire with two hose reels using ventilation equipment to breathe.

“All the family were accounted for when the fire crew searched the building.

“The majority of the damage to the shop was caused by the smoke.”

Firefighters said the shop suffered some fire damage as well as major smoke damage.

Ambulance staff took the owner’s wife to the Royal Blackburn Hospital after she inhaled harmful smoke but his son and daughter were unharmed.

The owner’s wife returned home yesterday after recieving medical treatment.

A resident on Daneshouse Road, who did not want to be named, said he saw the flames and the fire engines, He said: “I have only lived here for a few months and the area is good all in all.

“This incident was awful and I cannot understand why anyone would do that especially when there was a family inside.

“I hope the police catch the culprits, because they need to be locked up.”

Call Burnley CID 01282 472144 with information.