Arson Attack

Judith Alexander describes how Kentish Town house owned by the prime minister was targetedThe prime minister’s sister-in-law has said she feared what might have happened had she not woken up after her home was targeted in an arson attack, a court has heard.The incident is one of a series of arson attacks that took place in May last year on property linked to Keir Starmer, which three men with links to Ukraine are accused of targeting. They deny all the charges. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard says incident in area that is home to large Jewish community is not being treated as terrorism Police said on Tuesday they were investigating a suspected arson attack at a memorial wall in a north London area that is home to a large Jewish community.London’s Metropolitan police said the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism policing, though it was not being treated as a terrorist incident. No arrests have yet been made and the memorial wall was not damaged. Continue reading...

Nine people have been arrested in relation to the same conspiracy, following a series of attacks on Jewish targets across LondonTwo further arrests have been made in relation to an alleged conspiracy of an arson attack on a site connected to the Jewish community, the Metropolitan police have said.The latest arrests, made by counter-terrorism police investigating the alleged arson conspiracy, were of a 19-year-old man and a 26-year-old man. They were detained in Watford on Tuesday and remain in custody. Continue reading...

Seven held over alleged plot to commit another attack and man held over drone incident near Israeli embassySeven more people have been arrested after a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London.The Metropolitan police said the suspects were arrested in the past 48 hours over an alleged conspiracy to commit a further arson attack, although the specific target is not yet known. Continue reading...

Boy, 17, charged after bottle of liquid set alight and thrown through window of Kenton united synagogue in HarrowA 17-year-old boy has been charged with arson after an attack on a synagogue in north-west London.The teenager, a British national from Brent, north-west London, who has not been named because of his age, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Criminals paid on behalf of Iran are believed to be behind attacks against Jewish targets, say detectives Detectives are investigating whether the series of arson attacks in London were planned for weeks with suspects carrying out reconnaissance on the Jewish targets to be firebombed.The series of attacks against synagogues and other Jewish targets, as well as one premises linked to Iranian dissidents, are believed to be carried out by criminals paid on behalf of Iran, police said. Continue reading...

Boy, 17, and man, 19, detained as Met says it is investigating claims a series of antisemitic attacks are linked to IranTwo teenagers have been arrested over an arson attack at a synagogue in north-west London over the weekend, the Met police have said.Matt Jukes, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said a 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man had been detained, as he confirmed officers were investigating claims a series of antisemitic attacks in the UK were linked to Iranian-backed proxies. Continue reading...

Minor smoke damage and no injuries reported at synagogue in Harrow, after spate of similar incidents in recent weeksAn attempted arson attack has been reported at a north-west London synagogue, after a spate of similar incidents.The incident at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow on Saturday night caused minor smoke damage to an internal room but no injuries or significant structural damage, according to the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK. Continue reading...

Judex Atshatshi, 18, appears in court over what prosecutors say they believe was targeted attack on Jewish communityA fourth suspect charged after four Jewish community ambulances were torched in north-west London has been remanded in custody.Judex Atshatshi, 18, a British national from Dagenham, east London, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Saturday, charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Continue reading...

Met police say business in Hendon, north-west London, was targeted on FridayCounter-terrorism police are leading an investigation into an arson attack on a business in Hendon, north-west London, on Friday, the Metropolitan police have said.More details soon … Continue reading...

Boy, 16, among those charged in connection with attempted firebombing at Volant Media offices in WembleyThree people, including a 16-year-old boy, have appeared in court charged in connection with the attempted firebombing of a Persian media company in north-west London.Oisin McGuinness, 21, Nathan Dunn, 19, and a 16-year-old boy appeared together in the dock at Westminster magistrates court on Friday charged with arson with intent to endanger life. Continue reading...

Met police look into incident near office of Iran International after attempted firebombing of a synagogueCounter terror investigators are examining three separate arson attacks in London against an Iranian dissident and Jewish targets amid fears the Iranian state may be behind them.The latest attack came on Wednesday evening at about 8.30pm against the offices of the parent group of a company that runs Iran International, a Persian news channel which opposes the regime in Tehran. Continue reading...

Woman, 47, and man, 46, held on suspicion of arson endangering life after attempted Finchley attackA 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life after an attempted attack on a synagogue in Finchley, north London, as part of an investigation into what the Metropolitan police described as an “antisemitic hate crime”.The force said the woman was arrested at an address in Watford just after 4.45pm on Wednesday, while the man was arrested at 7.15pm in the Watford area. Both suspects remain in police custody. Continue reading...

Met says incident in Finchely is being treated as antisemitic hate crimeTwo suspects who threw bottles thought to contain petrol in an attempted arson at a synagogue in Finchley, north London, are being sought by detectives, the Metropolitan police said, adding that the attack was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.More details soon …. Continue reading...

Met police say 19-year-old man held at Westminster magistrates court, where three other men charged over attackA fourth person has been arrested in connection with the arson attack on Jewish volunteer ambulances in north-west London, the Metropolitan police has said.The force said the 19-year-old man was arrested on Saturday morning at Westminster magistrates court, where three other men were charged over the arson attack. Continue reading...

Three people arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, say police investigating Golders Green incidentCounter-terrorism police have arrested two men and a boy in connection with a suspected arson attack last week on ambulances run by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London.The three people – a 19 year-old man, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy – were all arrested early on Wednesday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Two UK nationals released on bail while Met continues investigation into incident in Golders Green Two men arrested in connection with a suspected arson attack on four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity in north London have been released on bail.The men, aged 47 and 45, who are both UK nationals, were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after the incident in Golders Green. On Thursday the Metropolitan police said the pair had been bailed until April while the investigation continues. Continue reading...

Local people say incident is just the latest example of hostility that has built up over a long timeThe blasts that boomed out in the early hours of Monday in suburban north-west London struck terror into people living in the surrounding streets. Their effects in Golders Green, with its large Jewish population, were still reverberating later that morning.The antisemitic attack, in which four ambulances run by the Jewish charity Hatzola were set on fire, has left local people afraid. They are afraid because of the incident itself but also because of what they see as a febrile atmosphere of antisemitism in the UK more generally. Continue reading...

CCTV showed three people setting light to an ambulance in Golders Green in the early hours of Monday morningAn attack on four Jewish community ambulances was aimed at making British Jews “be less visible” and “fear going about” their lives, Wes Streeting said as he pledged extra health support.Speaking at the scene of the attack in north London, the health secretary said:The aim of these attackers is clear. They want Jewish people in this country to live smaller lives, to live less Jewish lives, to be less visible as Jewish people, to fear going about Jewish life.I know that the Jewish community will not be cowed by this despicable act of evil, but it is the responsibility of the rest of us not to be bystanders.Every decent person in this country needs to stand up and speak up against this vile antisemitic hatred.This is a horrific antisemitic attack. And of course my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with those in the vicinity, the residents who are understandably very concerned, the Jewish community across the country deeply concerned.I’ve already been in touch with community leaders this morning and will continue to do so during the day. Continue reading...

Police say four ambulances from Jewish community ambulance service were damaged in a suspected arson attack in Golders GreenFour ambulances belonging to the Jewish community ambulance service were set on fire in Golders Green early on Monday, with police saying they were treating the incident as an “antisemitic hate crime”.Officers were called to Highfield Road, Golders Green, around 1.45am on Monday after receiving reports of a fire. Continue reading...