Eight further people are arrested by counter-terror police after spate of arson attacks in London

Counter-terrorism police have arrested a further eight people following several arson attacks targeting London’s Jewish community last month.

Seven of the arrests in the last 48 hours are said to be part of a “proactive investigation” into allegations of a plot against a venue “related to the Jewish community”.

However, the intended location or target was not disclosed by the police.

Three men, aged 24, 25 and 26, were arrested in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, shortly after 9pm on Sunday. They were detained before being released on bail.

This follows the arrest of a 25-year-old man in Stevenage on Monday (April 20).

A 26-year-old man and two women, aged 50 and 59, were also arrested in a car near Birmingham. They were all taken to London police station where they are currently detained.

This morning, a 39-year-old man was arrested at an address in Ealing after jars containing the non-hazardous substance were found in Kensington Gardens on Friday, April 17. He was arrested and detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Police said a search is continuing at a facility in East London as part of the investigation.

The latest arrests follow a volunteer-led arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green.

23 people have been arrested so far Police continue to investigate whether ‘criminal proxies’ with ties to Iran were paid to carry out the attacks.

Since the end of March, there have been arson attacks on ambulances of the Jewish community in Golders Green, two synagogues in north-west London and the former buildings of a Jewish charity.

The pro-Iran group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (Islamic Movement of the Right Companions) claimed responsibility for the attacks and released video footage of the perpetrators shortly after each incident.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Met Police announced that a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been charged with arson not endangering life after a ‘firebomb’ was thrown into the window of Kenton United Synagogue, near Harrow, on Sunday.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 21. A 19-year-old man arrested following the attack was also released on bail pending further investigation.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism, said: ‘We have made it very clear that we will be relentless in pursuing anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks.

‘Our message is clear, we will not tolerate these intimidations against our communities and we will pursue those responsible.

‘One of the main lines of our investigation is whether criminal proxies, i.e. people paid to commit a crime, were used to carry out any of these arsons.

‘While our investigations into this matter are still ongoing, my message to anyone considering getting involved in this type of activity is that the risks are high and definitely not worth the risk.

‘When we identify you, we will try to file a lawsuit. This would include assessing crimes under the National Security Act, which carries significant penalties and life restrictions.

‘We will not rest until all those responsible for these actions are held accountable.

‘As well as making arrests, Counter Terrorism Police resources have also been deployed to north west London to support a major Met police operation to help deter further attacks and provide security to Jewish places of worship and businesses.’

‘I would like to thank our communities for their support as we investigate these crimes and I urge the public to be alert to anything that doesn’t feel right and report it to us.’

The arrests follow a series of arson attacks against Jewish community targets last month.

midnight on Sunday, A ‘bottle containing some type of accelerator’ was thrown through the window of a medical room at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, causing smoke and minor damage to the building.

The incident was noticed by Met officers who arrived at the scene and were conducting security checks at local synagogues.

Last Friday, suspicious items, including two jars containing powder, were found near the Israeli embassy in West London, prompting the closure of Kensington Gardens while detectives continued their investigation.

Police said the embassy was not attacked but officers were investigating whether the items were linked to a video released by an Iran-linked Islamist group claiming to have targeted the building with drones carrying radioactive material.

On Friday night, an attempted arson attack was made on the former offices of educational charity Jewish Futures in Hendon, north-west London.

The Met Police said a man approached the premises carrying a plastic bag, which was later revealed to be three bottles containing ‘liquid’.

Two days earlier, balaclava-clad suspects threw a brick and two bottles thought to contain petrol at Finchley Reform Synagogue.

A 47-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman were arrested in Watford in connection with the incident.

Arsonists also targeted four Jewish community ambulances run by Hatzola (a voluntary service) in Golders Green, north London, on 23 March.

Following the incident, at approximately 1.45am, 40 firefighters and 6 fire trucks rushed to Highfield Road near the Machzike Hadath synagogue.

The firebomb caused gas cylinders stored in ambulances to explode, and the force of the explosion caused the windows of a nearby apartment block to shatter.

The roof of the synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in Europe, was damaged and its stained glass windows were broken in the fire. There were no injuries.