Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London—a collaboration of police, MI5 and other law-enforcement partners—is investigating an arson incident at a former synagogue in east London, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Police were called at 5:16 a.m. on May 5 by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire on Nelson Street, Tower Hamlets. Minor damage was reported to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building. There were no reports of injuries.
Closed-circuit TV showed that the blaze was intentionally set at around 5:10 a.m. The incident is being treated as arson, police said.
Det. Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the area, stated: “The building targeted has not been operational as a synagogue for some years, but that will be of little comfort to the Jewish community in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and beyond, who are first in my thoughts this morning. Local residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while inquiries into this incident continue.”
Given the nature of the incident and that the targeted building once served as a synagogue, Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation. There have yet to be any arrests.
Cmdr. Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said: “This incident follows on from a number of arsons and attempted arsons targeting Jewish Londoners in the northwest of the city. ... Detectives are already working quickly to gather evidence and identify those responsible, and I would urge anyone with CCTV or information that could assist detectives to contact police.”
Since the arson attack in Golders Green in March, in which four Hatzola ambulances were torched, the Metropolitan Police has launched an intensive set of community operations, deploying thousands of additional officer shifts, including armed police patrols, the statement said.
