Police arrest eight in London arson investigation

Police in London have arrested eight people in connection with a series of arson-related incidents across the capital, warning that those who carry out attacks for money could face “significant” prison sentences.

The Metropolitan Police said seven of the arrests were made within the past 48 hours as part of a proactive investigation into an alleged conspiracy to commit arson. Officers believe the intended target is linked to the Jewish community, although the specific target has not yet been confirmed, Sky News reports. 

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the possible use of criminal proxies to carry out attacks was a “key line of inquiry”.

“Anybody who carries out arson for money could face ‘significant’ sentences,” police warned.

Three men, aged 24, 25 and 26, were arrested in Harpenden shortly after 9pm on April 19. They were taken into custody before later being released on bail.

On April 20, a 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage. Separately, a 26-year-old man and two women, aged 50 and 59, were detained in a vehicle near Birmingham. All remain in custody at a London police station.

In a further arrest on the morning of April 21, a 39-year-old man was detained at an address in Ealing in connection with a separate investigation following the discovery of jars containing a non-hazardous substance in Kensington Gardens on April 17.

Police said eight of those arrested have now been charged with arson-related offences, while a total of 13 individuals remain either in custody or on bail as investigations continue.

By Sabina Mammadli