Seven more arrested after arson attacks on London Jewish sites

Seven more people have been arrested after a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London.

The Metropolitan police said the suspects were arrested in the past 48 hours over an alleged conspiracy to commit a further arson attack, although the specific target is not yet known.

Since late March there have been arson attacks on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, two synagogues and a former Jewish charity, as well as an incident where a drone was flown near the Israeli embassy.

The Met said three men aged 24, 25 and 26 were arrested in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, on Sunday. They have since been released on bail.

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage on Monday, and a 26-year-old man and two women aged 50 and 59 were arrested in a car near Birmingham. These four remain in custody.

Another arrest has been made over the embassy incident, in which a drone was flown in Kensington Gardens carrying jars that were later found to contain non-hazardous material.

A 39-year-old man was held in Ealing, west London, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act, which allows for a suspect to be arrested without a warrant if they are suspected of being a terrorist.

A total of 23 people have been arrested in connection with the series of attacks on Jewish sites.

The deputy assistant commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator of counter-terrorism policing, said: “We’ve made very clear that we will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks. Our message is clear: we will not tolerate this intimidation of our communities and will pursue those responsible.

“One of our key lines of inquiry is whether criminal proxies – that is to say people being paid money to carry out a crime, are being used to commit any of these arsons. While our investigations into this are still ongoing, my message to anyone even considering getting involved in this type of activity is this: the stakes are high and it is absolutely not worth the risk.

“When we identify you, we will seek to prosecute you. This will include considering offences under the National Security Act, which comes with a significant sentence and lifetime restrictions. We will not rest until all those responsible for these acts are held to full account.”

She added: “As well as making arrests, Counter Terrorism Policing resources have also been deployed in north-west London to support the significant Met police operation to help deter further attacks and provide reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses. I would like to thank our communities for their support as we investigate these crimes and would urge the public to be alert to anything which doesn’t feel right and report it to us.”