Teen charged after late-night synagogue arson in London

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with arson following an attack on a synagogue in northwest London, as authorities continue to investigate a series of incidents affecting Jewish sites across the city.

The teenager, a British national from Brent who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with arson, not endangering life. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 21, according to the Metropolitan Police, cited by British media.

The charge follows an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing London into an incident that took place late on Saturday, April 18, in Harrow. Police said the case relates to an alleged arson attack at approximately 11:35 p.m. at Kenton United Synagogue on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police, who were carrying out routine security checks at local synagogues shortly before midnight, identified what they believed to be a crime scene and alerted the London Fire Brigade. The fire caused minor damage to the building, but no injuries were reported.

The development comes after two suspects—a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy—were arrested at separate addresses late on Sunday, April 19, on suspicion of arson and of being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Both were taken to a London police station. The 19-year-old has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Authorities have noted that the incident is part of a broader pattern of recent attacks targeting Jewish-related locations in London. Police are currently investigating additional alleged incidents, including one at the former site of a Jewish charity in Hendon on Friday and another at a synagogue in Finchley on Wednesday. Officials have stated that these cases are not currently believed to be linked.

Both Hendon and Finchley are located near Golders Green, where four Jewish community ambulances operated by the volunteer-led service Hatzola were set on fire in a suspected arson attack last month.

In a separate development on Saturday, a security alert was triggered near the Israeli embassy in central London after jars containing a powdery substance were discovered in a nearby park. The material was later determined to be harmless.

By Tamilla Hasanova