Arrests made in investigation into memorial wall arson

Two people have been arrested in the Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into an arson attack on a memorial wall in Golders Green last week.

A 46-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were arrested on the morning of Monday, 4 May at an address in Romford.

They were both arrested on suspicion of arson. They were taken to a London police station, where they remain in custody.

Officers are also carrying out a search at the address in Romford.

The arrests are part of an ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) investigation following a reported arson attack on a memorial wall in Limes Avenue, NW11, at around 00:15hrs on Monday, 27 April. Police received a report of the fire at around 19:30hrs the same day.

The wall contains pictures of protesters who were allegedly killed by the Iranian state in January.

The investigation into the arson attack continues and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 7308/27APR or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of CTP London, said:

“We are committed to protecting vulnerable communities in the capital. Detectives have been conducting extensive enquiries since this incident was reported to us last week and these two arrests are the result of that hard work.

“CTP London is working on a number of investigations into incidents that have taken place in north west London since the attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green in March. We have made a total of 30 arrests and nine people have been charged.

“Counter-terrorism officers continue to work closely with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police in response to the various incidents. We’re providing protective security advice and support to various organisations, community venues and businesses.

“With the threat level now raised to severe, everyone can play their part to keep themselves and their communities safe. If you have concerns about someone behaving suspiciously, please report it to us. Your information could help us save lives.”

Since the attack in Golders Green in March, the Met Police has launched the most intensive set of community operations it has ever run.

We have deployed thousands of additional officer shifts to protect Londoners and reassure communities affected by these incidents. This includes armed police patrols as well as deployments of officers from Project Servator, who are specially trained to spot individuals who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.