Petrol Bomb Attack on Birmingham Wedding Sets Two Cars Alight as Police Hunt Three Men

Two luxury cars were set alight when petrol bombs were hurled at a Birmingham wedding venue, sending guests running for safety as police launched a hunt for three men. The attack happened at about 8.30pm on Wednesday, 19 August, outside the Royal Shalimar on Highgate Road in Sparkbrook, where a wedding was taking place.

Five petrol bombs were thrown, according to local reports. Three were directed towards people outside the venue and two towards a row of parked cars. Two vehicles, reported to be a Lamborghini and a McLaren, were set alight. No injuries were reported.

CCTV footage shows three figures dressed in dark clothing throwing the devices before fleeing. Police are examining CCTV and appealing for witnesses. The suspects are believed to have left in a white Volkswagen Golf.

Guests Scatter as Flames Take Hold

The attack unfolded while guests were outside the venue. Video footage reviewed by ITV News shows what appear to be petrol bombs flying towards the area, with people scattering as the devices hit the ground. A toddler was among those close to the attack, the broadcaster reported.

Staff at the venue tackled the flames before firefighters arrived. The Royal Shalimar later said its priority had been the safety of guests and that the incident had been dealt with alongside emergency services and police.

West Midlands Police have asked anyone with information to come forward, quoting log number 5308 of 19 August. No arrests had been reported in the latest accounts.

Motive Unclear as Police Probe Attack

Police have not publicly identified a motive for the attack. The Royal Shalimar is a banqueting venue in Sparkbrook that hosts weddings and other large events. Its address is 238 Highgate Road.

Some reports have described it as a Pakistani wedding venue, and the event has prompted speculation online about whether the attack was linked to a dispute within the local community.

There is no confirmed police finding, however, establishing the ethnicity of the suspects or showing that the attack was an intra-community dispute. That distinction is relevant as investigators work to establish what happened and why.

Robinson Raises Two-Tier Policing Claim

The attack has also been drawn into a wider political argument over policing in Britain. Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist and founder of the English Defence League, claimed on social media that 'two-tier policing and judiciary' were operating across the country after the Birmingham attack.

He also said the incident had been ignored by the 'legacy media' and compared it with the prison sentence handed to an English man who threw a wheelie bin during the 2024 Southport disorder.

The comparison refers to Rory Allington-Mott, who was sentenced to three years and three months for violent disorder after taking part in the Southport unrest and throwing objects including bricks and a wheelie bin at police. Merseyside Police said he played a leading role in the disorder.

It was not a case of a man being imprisoned simply for throwing a wheelie bin. The offence took place during a wider episode of violent disorder, and the court sentenced Allington-Mott after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Robinson's claim that the Birmingham attack was ignored by the media is also difficult to reconcile with the reporting record. Birmingham Live published multiple reports, including CCTV footage and details of the police investigation.

No Evidence of Two-Tier Policing in This Case

The existence of different policing standards has become a recurring political argument in Britain, particularly since the disorder that followed the Southport killings in July 2024. But there is currently no evidence showing that West Midlands Police have treated the Birmingham suspects differently because of their ethnicity or the nature of the event.

The force has opened an investigation, reviewed CCTV and issued a public appeal for information. The suspects had not been identified or arrested in the latest reports. The investigation remains at an early stage.

What is established is that petrol bombs were thrown at a wedding venue, two cars were set alight and people were placed in danger. Who ordered the attack, who carried it out and why remain questions for investigators.