A fire broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday in a restaurant in Paphos, which was extinguished before it could spread.

According to the police, the fire was called in at 23.30pm and members of the fire department went to the scene and extinguished it before it spread to adjacent properties.

From preliminary investigations it appears that the fire was maliciously set.

Examinations resumed at the first light of day to establish the exact causes.

The amount of damages has not yet been calculated.

The police and fire department are continuing to investigate.