Man, 65, launches petrol bomb at London migrant hotel in attack caught on camera

A man has admitted hurling a blazing petrol bomb at a hotel housing migrants in a chilling attack captured on CCTV. Mark Neville, 65, was caught on camera igniting the device before lobbing it over a gate towards the entrance of the building in Islington, north London. The blaze erupted in the hotel grounds but was swiftly put out by security personnel. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which took place at 10:53pm on September 24 last year.

Detectives hunted down Neville using CCTV footage, tracing his movements from the scene all the way to the front door of his flat, as reported by NeedToKnow. Local residents played a key role in identifying him, while forensic evidence further tied him to the assault. A specialist fire investigation dog named Simba, a nine-year-old springer spaniel, assisted officers in discovering a glove containing Neville's DNA in a nearby bin. His DNA was also matched to glass fragments recovered from the petrol bomb.

Police searches of Neville's flat unearthed internet searches and messages connected to far-right activists, migration and asylum seekers. The Met stated that the evidence suggested he was driven by hatred and anger towards immigration. Neville, of Islington, was arrested less than two days after the attack. He initially denied any involvement, but subsequently conceded that he was the individual captured in the footage. He admitted guilt at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday to attempted arson being reckless as to endanger life, possession of a bladed article and possession of a prohibited weapon, a stun gun, in a private place.

The Dingley Road hotel has since ceased operating as accommodation for migrants. Neville will be sentenced at a later date. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .