The owner of an Indian takeaway set alight when a firework was pushed through the letterbox said he had been warned his business could be targeted.

The fire, at Shaffiq's Indian takeaway in Scholes, caused substantial smoke damage to the entire shop.

Fire crews from Cleckheaton and Brighouse were called to the Scholes Lane premises at 3.10am on Tuesday.

Owner Mohammed Shaffiq, 32, said: "I got a phone call last week from a customer who told me to be wary because he had heard local lads saying they were going to firebomb the place.

"I told all the staff to be vigilant. If I hadn't had that warning, I might have just thought this attack was kids in the run- up to bonfire night."

The fire burnt the door and caused smoke damage. A fire service spokesman said: "This just shows how far things can go by people being either stupid or bigoted."

It is the second attack on the business since Mr Shaffiq bought it in June. He believes both attacks were racially motivated.

The windows of the takeaway were put through two weeks after the Bradford riots in July and Mr Shaffiq is waiting for planning permission to put up shutters outside his shop.

"The window was supposed to be replaced on today - that will now have to wait," he said.

"When the windows were broken it really got to me. We haven't done anything wrong and are decent people. We were still doing the place up. This attack has been done by a minority who obviously don't like our colour."

But Mr Shaffiq, who said the initial clean-up would leave the shop closed for a couple of weeks, is determined not to be driven out.

"It will not make me think about leaving, because then they have won. I have spent £18,000 here and have worked hard to build up the business.''

He said most customers were friendly and he liked the village community in Scholes.

Last week a Wyke newsagents was firebombed in what police said was a racially-motivated attack. The Bengal Balti House in nearby Westfield Lane was also hit by arsonists last week.

A police spokesman confirmed the fire was being treated as suspicious. He added: "If the complainant perceives this to be a racially-motivated incident, then we will treat it as such in our inquiries.