Boy, 17, among new arrests over suspected arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances | UK news
Counter-terrorism police have arrested two men and a boy in connection with the suspected arson of ambulances run by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London, last week.
Metropolitan police said three men – a 19-year-old man, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy – were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday.
Their separate homes in East London were being searched by officers on Wednesday afternoon. The Met said the two elderly men were British citizens and the boy was both a British and Pakistani citizen.
All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life and remain in police custody.
The alleged arson attack on four ambulances took place in the early hours of March 23 on Highfield Road in Golders Green, near Machzike Hadath synagogue.
The vehicles were operated by Hatzola Northwest, a Jewish charity run by volunteers, to provide free medical transport and emergency response to the north London community.
Two men, aged 47 and 45, who were previously arrested in connection with the attack, were released on bail last Thursday pending further investigation.
Commander Helen Flanagan, the Met’s head of counter-terrorism policing, who led the investigation, said: “We know anxiety is high among the Jewish community, but I hope these arrests show that we are doing everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.
“The support we have received from the local community since this attack took place has been incredible and we will continue to work closely with our local police colleagues to do everything we can to keep the public safe.”
Last week Flanagan said the Met was “careful that CCTV footage of the incident shows at least three people were involved”.
The incident was not declared a terrorist act, but due to the circumstances, the investigation is being carried out by counter-terrorism detectives. The Met has previously said the incident was being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime.
DCS Luke Williams, who leads policing activities in north-west London, said: “We know that local community concern remains high – particularly for our Jewish communities who are now entering the Passover period. Since the arson attack, we have introduced an enhanced, dedicated policing plan focusing on sensitive areas not just in Golders Green but across London. This has involved significant numbers of officers on the ground to protect communities, disrupt offenders and detect crime.”
