A KEBAB shop owner torched a nearby takeaway in Dunfermline hours after one of its workers came in to ask for change.

Yusuf Topal sparked a blaze at the Pizza Boy restaurant in Carnegie Drive in May 2014.

The 44-year-old ran the Turkish Kebab Shop two doors down from the eaterie and was clocked buying a can of petrol shortly before the fire.

The alarm was raised when passing police officers spotted smoke and flames.

Topal had been due to appear in the dock in 2015 in connection with the crime but failed to show and was finally held in England earlier this year.

He is now behind bars after he admitted a wilful fire-raising charge at the High Court in Glasgow today.

Topal – who appeared using crutches – was remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.

The court heard both the Pizza Boy and Turkish Kebab Shop takeaways were open for business on May 10, 2014.

Early that evening, a Pizza Boy worker visited the nearby restaurant.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: “He attended to ask for change. As he was given it, he overheard Topal shout: 'Why are you giving him it?'.

“The worker then left the shop without the change.”

Pizza Boy later closed for the night in the early hours.

The same worker from before then decided to pop into the Turkish Kebab Shop to ask how the evening had gone.

But, Mr Farrell explained: “He was informed by one of the staff that it was not a good idea to come in as Topal was in a very bad mood.”

Topal was eventually left alone in his takeaway but around 5am he got in a car before buying a can of petrol at a local garage.

He then headed to an alley next to Pizza Boy – and minutes later smoke was seen billowing from the area.

Two police officers were walking past and spotted an extractor fan at the restaurant was alight.

Firefighters soon arrived to attend to the blaze which had spread into the takeaway. Nearby residents had to be evacuated.

The court heard the fire was put out fairly quickly but Mr Farrell said that had it not been for the “intervention” of the police officers the incident could have been much worse.

Fire investigators concluded the blaze was a “deliberate act” and the Pizza Boy restaurant was found to have suffered “significant” smoke damage.

The owners were left with a £10,000 repair bill

Turkish-born Topal was later held, but claimed at the time: “I had a drink and went to sleep.”

A warrant was granted for his arrest after he failed to appear at the high court in April 2015.

No explanation was given as to where exactly he had gone before being brought back to Scotland.

Lord Mulholland deferred sentencing for reports until December 7 in Livingston.