An arsonist caught fire after pouring gasoline over a barber shop he broke into, CCTV footage released by the Australian police showed.

The footage, taken just before midnight on July 6, shows two individuals pulling up to the ‘Gold Blade’ barber shop in Gungahlin, Canberra, on push bikes.

One of the men uses a hammer to smash through the glass front door, allowing their accomplice to climb into the barber shop armed with a red jerry can.

The individual inside then proceeds to douse the shop with accelerant, before using a lighter to set fire to it.

Flames engulf the store and in the process, the arsonist is set on fire, forcing him to make a hasty exit.

CCTV footage shows the man diving through the smashed glass front door and onto the pavement, before rolling over several times in an attempt to put out the flames.

Once the fire is out, the pair take off leaving the shop to burn.

Police have struggled to identify the two individuals, who were both wearing motorcycle helmets to cover their faces.

Community police are appealing for help in locating the two individuals and have urged anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.