A £50,000 reward has been announced by Conservative politician Umer Farooq for information leading to the identification of those behind attacks on his family home and business in Hounslow, West London.
The family home of Farooq and fellow Conservative politician Tariq Aziz was targeted when bricks were hurled through upstairs and downstairs windows, causing serious damage and leaving family members, including children, deeply shaken.
The family said several relatives narrowly escaped serious injury as bricks came dangerously close to hitting them inside the house. A family car parked outside was also destroyed.
Within a day of the attack on the house, an attempt was made to set alight Farooq’s airline ticketing business, causing major damage to the front of the premises.
Farooq, a businessman who provides airline tickets for Pakistan, the Middle East and international destinations, was targeted in what he described as a separate firebomb attack.
CCTV footage shows a black car stopping outside the business before a masked man gets out, pours petrol on a vehicle and sets it on fire before fleeing the scene. The flames completely burnt the front entrance of the office premises. Video footage shows large flames outside the building. The fire brigade arrived within 15 minutes and extinguished the blaze.
Farooq described the attack as “planned and professional” and claimed those responsible used a stolen car to carry out the firebombing. He said the incident caused extensive damage and that the fire brigade arrived in time to prevent further destruction.
The attacks come amid heightened political tensions following the recent local council elections, in which Labour suffered heavy defeats across Britain, losing nearly 1,500 council seats. In Hounslow, a borough with a significant Pakistani and Asian community, Labour retained control but saw its majority reduced after losing 20 seats.
Local Conservative supporters claimed tensions began after Pakistani and Asian candidates campaigned strongly for their parties, and Conservatives made gains in areas previously seen as Labour strongholds. They alleged that some local Labour figures were behind the hostility and intimidation, though no evidence has yet been presented publicly to establish responsibility for the attacks.
Farooq said his life and his family’s lives were under threat and criticised local police, claiming they had failed to provide adequate protection despite the seriousness of the incidents.
“No family should have to live in fear in their own home,” he said, urging anyone with information to come forward and assist police with their investigation.
Local Pakistani community leader and businessman Nisar Malik condemned the violence, saying political rivalry, intimidation and attacks on families have no place in Hounslow or any democratic society. He called on all parties to resolve their political differences and urged police to take action.
Police said they were investigating the attacks and had gathered evidence. The local Labour Party said it had no connection to the incidents.
2026-05-21 00:00:00
