Shocking moment: Masked attacker throws Molotov cocktail at fish and chip shop as terrified customers wait for their meal in Dublin

This is the terrifying moment a masked man threw a flaming petrol bomb into a fish and chip shop as hungry elderly customers waited for their takeaway dinners.

The balaclava-clad man rushed into the Zia restaurant in Dublin, Ireland, with the Molotov cocktail already lit before throwing it – narrowly missing a cowering employee.

Three elderly men, who were patiently waiting for their food, quickly fled the restaurant as clouds of thick black smoke filled the premises.

Brave staff quickly sprung into action, rushing to the extinguisher so they could bring the flames under control before the restaurant was set ablaze.

The shocking moment was captured on CCTV during the takeaway at 8pm on Tuesday.

Exterior cameras also show the thug running through the car park outside the Walkinstown fish and chip shop.

He can be seen hiding the Molotov cocktail behind his back before lighting it and bursting into the restaurant full of elderly customers.

Within seconds, the criminal fled into the darkness of the night while heroic chip shop staff battled the flames.

Residents were left stunned by the incident, with one furious: “What are these people offering takeaways?”

A second said: “This woman could have been seriously injured. »

Others described the attack as “horrific”, with others calling the thug a “cowardly bastard”.

Another joked: “They forgot his garlic sauce, I hear.”

Irish police, also known as the Garda, are currently searching for the attacker.

A Garda spokesperson told MailOnline: “Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire which occurred at a store in Walkinstown, Co Dublin on March 19, 2024 at around 8pm.

“No injuries have been reported at this time and no arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing.

MailOnline has contacted Zia’s Takeaway for comment.

The shocking incident comes after a house was petrol bombed while a mother and her 11-year-old child slept inside.

Laura Coupland, 39, and her son Lincoln-Jay feared for their lives following the terrifying attack on her three-bedroom home in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, in July last year.

She claims two Molotov cocktails were thrown, one at her car and one at her front door, which then remained blackened and smoking and forced her and her son to move.

Laura, who has since moved to a new house, said: “Me, my son and my dogs were sleeping in that house at the time.

“My son was too scared to go home – it had a pretty big effect on both of us.

“Because of all this, I almost had a nervous breakdown and became very depressed. This also affected my son, he became very angry about it.

“The fire damaged the house and destroyed everything.”