UPDATE: Man remains in custody in connection with arson attacks

A man arrested in connection with a series of arson attacks remains in police custody.

The 21-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, 13 May on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

He was arrested at an address in Sydenham.

The man was taken to a London police station, where he currently remains in police custody.

The arrest relates to three incidents.

On Monday, 12 May at 01:35hrs, police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire at a residential address in NW5.

Officers attended the scene. Damage was caused to the property’s entrance, nobody was hurt.

As a precaution and due to the property having previous connections with a high-profile public figure, officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are leading the investigation into this fire. Enquiries are ongoing to establish what caused it.

The investigation team are also considering two other incidents - a vehicle fire in NW5 on Thursday, 8 May and a fire at the entrance of a property in N7 on Sunday, 11 May - and are investigating whether they may be linked to the fire in NW5 on 12 May.

All three fires are being treated as suspicious at this time, and enquiries remain ongoing.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are working at pace and continue to explore various lines of enquiry to establish the cause of the fires, and any potential motivation for these. A key line of enquiry is whether the fires are linked due to the two premises and the vehicle all having previous links to the same high-profile public figure.

“We recognise that this investigation may cause concern to other public figures - particularly MPs. The protection of MPs is something we take extremely seriously across the whole of policing and I would encourage any MP who is concerned about their own safety to get in touch with their dedicated local Operation Bridger officer, who can provide further advice and support.

“In the meantime, our investigation remains ongoing and we will continue to work closely with local officers in the areas affected. Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in those areas over the coming days, but if anyone has concerns, then please speak with a local officer, or call us.”

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should call police on 101 quoting CAD 441/12 May.

We would ask the public to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that doesn’t look or feel right, then to report it to police – either by calling police, in confidence, on 0800 789 321 or via www.gov.uk/ACT

In an emergency, always dial 999.