A member of the public bravely tackled him before uniformed officers arrived on the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze.

Fortunately, no one on the street or in the front office was hurt, and there was no serious damage to the building.

Police said they had still not been able to trace the member of the public who first challenged Pawlowski.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, head of policing for Haringey and Enfield, said: “When shown parts of the footage during police interview Pawlowski laughed, but the actions he took that day could have had devastating consequences.

“The officers who responded were confronted with a chaotic and frightening scenario but acted with the utmost courage and bravery to swiftly detain Pawlowski.

“Following the incident, support was provided to the staff who man our front counter, who were going about their work when this distressing ordeal unfolded. Very luckily, no one was injured.

“The member of the public who helped apprehend Pawlowski left the scene and was never traced, despite extensive efforts. I’d like to extend our thanks to them for their bravery in assisting my officers.”