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A second man has been arrested in reference to the alleged arson assaults focusing on properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Metropolitan Police mentioned.
The arrest of the 26-year previous suspect at Luton airport on Saturday follows prices being introduced in opposition to Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian nationwide, this week, after three fires together with one at Starmer’s household house.
Counterterror police have been main the investigation. Lavrynovych, 21, has been charged with three counts of arson with an intent to hazard life. The second suspect, who investigators haven’t named and is but to be charged, was arrested on comparable grounds, police mentioned.
“The 26-year-old was arrested round 13:45hrs on Saturday, 17 Might at London Luton airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to hazard life,” the police mentioned in an announcement.
“The arrest was made by counterterrorism officers from the Jap Area Particular Operations Unit. The person has been taken into police custody in London.”
“All [the fires] have earlier connections with a high-profile public determine, and due to this fact officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command have led the investigation into the fires.”
Alongside the hearth at Starmer’s household house in Kentish City north London — which he’s understood to have been renting out since getting into Downing Avenue final yr — one other property as soon as linked to the prime minister in Islington additionally caught fireplace, as did a automobile he as soon as owned on the identical road because the household house, all within the area of every week.
At a listening to at Westminster Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom on Friday Lavrynovych was detained forward of a listening to on the Previous Bailey on June 6. He was first arrested on Tuesday.
His authorized group didn’t request bail.
Prosecutor Sarah Przybylska advised the court docket that his alleged offending was at present “unexplained”.
Przybylska mentioned that Lavrynovych had denied arson when interviewed beneath warning. She alleged he had used “accelerants” to begin the fires.
Lavrynovych spoke solely to substantiate his id and had proceedings translated for him by a Ukrainian interpreter.
