A fashion boutique was deliberately torched in Manchester city centre.
Witnesses said two men were seen pulling up in front of The Dolls House, on Bridge Street, on a red motorbike just before 8.15pm.
They smashed the front door of the women's clothing shop and poured a flammable liquid inside, before setting it alight.
The men were seen leaving on the red motorcycle in the direction of Chapel Street in Salford.
One person, believed to be a cleaner, was treated at the scene for shock, Greater Manchester Police said.
Firefighters spent two hours and 30 minutes tackling the flames, which took hold of the basement and ground floor of the shop.
The Dolls House is an independent clothing boutique, with dresses on its website fetching up to £490.
Police are treating the fire as an arson attack and are appealing for any witnesses.
No arrests have been made at this stage.
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Bridge Street was sealed off between Deansgate and St Mary's Parsonage last night, but has since re-opened.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, from GMP’s City of Manchester Division, said: “We are treating this as a deliberately targeted arson attack and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw two men on a red motorcycle acting suspiciously around the time of the incident, to get in touch.”
A spokeswoman for the fire service said: "We were called at 8.12pm. Three fire engines from Manchester central and Salford attended a fire in a commercial shop premises on Bridge Street.
"Firefighters used two hose reels, four breathing apparatus and a positive ventilation extraction fan to extinguish the fire.
"We were there for two hours and 30 minutes. It is being treated as possible arson.
"The fire was located on the ground floor of a three-storey building. The ground floor and the basement were affected by fire and smoke."
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4409 quoting reference 2702 of 02/09/19, or anonymously using the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
