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A person has been arrested on suspicion of arson in reference to a collection of fires together with at Sir Keir Starmer’s household dwelling and different property linked to the prime minister.
The Metropolitan Police stated a 21-year-old was arrested within the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of arson with intent to hazard life.
In a press release, the Met stated the arrest associated to the fireplace on the four-bedroom home in Kentish City within the early hours of Monday, in addition to a automotive that caught hearth in latest days on the identical road and a blaze at an workplace constructing that has a connection to Starmer within the N7 postcode.
The hearth on the Starmer household dwelling, which the prime minister rented out to tenants after transferring to 10 Downing Avenue in July final 12 months, triggered injury to the property’s entrance.
Within the assertion, the Met stated: “As a precaution and as a result of property having earlier connections with a high-profile public determine, officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are main the investigation into this fireplace. Enquiries are ongoing to ascertain what triggered it.
“The investigation workforce are additionally contemplating two different incidents — a car hearth in NW5 on Thursday, 8 Could and a fireplace on the entrance of a property in N7 on Sunday, 11 Could — and are investigating whether or not they might be linked to the fireplace in NW5 on 12 Could.”
The Met added that every one three fires “are being handled as suspicious right now”.
The Met cautioned on Monday night that it was not but clear whether or not the three fires had been linked however counterterrorism police had been pursuing that as a line of inquiry.
Police didn’t consider the fireplace at Starmer’s dwelling was began by an explosive machine, however had been persevering with to research the supply of the blaze, one particular person aware of the investigation added.
The three fires with potential hyperlinks to Starmer are prone to heighten issues inside the federal government a couple of co-ordinated marketing campaign towards the prime minister.
The Met didn’t instantly say on Tuesday whether or not they anticipated additional arrests to observe.
The involvement of counterterrorism officers, who’re specialists in discerning the character of a potential assault, is frequent when a high-profile property is the topic of fireside injury.
Starmer’s dwelling has been focused by protesters up to now, together with in relation to the Israel-Hamas warfare in Gaza.
The UK faces a number of threats, and Ken McCallum, head of MI5, warned in October that Russian spies had been on a “mission to generate mayhem” on Britain’s streets and that Iran was fomenting deadly plots at “an unprecedented tempo and scale”.
In June final 12 months, three pro-Palestinian protesters had been discovered responsible of public order offences after demonstrating outdoors Starmer’s north London dwelling.
