Terrified regulars were trapped in their pub by arsonists who tried to set the building alight today.

Five masked men wielding petrol bombs and axes attacked the Newby Square pub in Bowling Old Lane, Bradford, trapping 15 people, including the landlord, inside.

One petrol bomb was thrown at a window and five other windows were smashed around the building.

Terrified drinkers took cover upstairs as five men carried out the attack at around 12.45am.

Landlord O’Neil Lewis said: “I was sat playing dominoes. There were around 15 people in the pub and a female worker behind the bar when we just heard a ‘boom, boom, boom’ sound.

“They started throwing stones at first and one came with an axe, smashing in the windows.

“Then a petrol bomb was thrown at the window, but it didn’t come through.

“They tried to set the place on fire. It all happened so quickly, it was so unexpected.

“I live upstairs and everyone just took cover upstairs.”

CCTV footage from the first floor of the pub was seized by the police when they arrived with fire crews shortly after the attack.

Mr Lewis said he had not experienced any trouble at the pub in the two years he had been landlord.

He said on the night there were a mixture of black, white and Asian customers in the pub, which is the norm.

He said: “We don’t want any trouble. We are running a business here and all of our lives were in danger. This kind of thing has to stop.

“We don’t need this, we don’t want this kind of violence.”

Mr Lewis has vowed to continue trading once the damage has been fixed.

He is set for a repair bill of up to £5,000.

Police patrols have been stepped up in the area in a bid to reassure the community.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said a motive for the attack had yet to be established. Anyone with information should contact Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.