Eight fire engines and 60 firefighters rushed to the scene of a home on Newick Road in the East London district of Hackney at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday to battle a blaze investigators consider may have been arson.
Four people were hurt as a result, none of whom face critical injuries. Police arrested an unnamed man in his 60s who they reported made threatening and antisemitic comments.
“Undoubtedly, this will be extremely concerning news for our Jewish communities in Hackney and beyond,” said Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway. “I and my officers will be engaging with partners, including the Community Safety Trust and the Shomrim, to answer their questions and listen to their views.”
Conway was not convinced that hate was the motivation for the attack.
While he said “the investigation will continue to explore the motivation for this offense,” he revealed that police “believe at this stage that this was centered on a localized housing-related issue.”
