Two men arrested in connection with the Golders Green arson attack

Two men aged 47 and 45 have been arrested in connection with the Golders Green arson attack.

The suspects – aged 47 and aged 45 – were arrested on Wednesday morning at addresses in the north-west London and central London areas respectively.

They were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and both men have been taken to a London police station where they currently remain in police custody. Officers are carrying out searches at the two addresses.

The arrests are linked to the ongoing investigation into an arson attack on four ambulances run by the Hatzola, a volunteer-led service.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “We have been working around the clock since this appalling attack took place and this has led to these arrests being made this morning. This appears to be an important breakthrough in the investigation, but we’re also mindful that CCTV footage of the incident suggests there were at least three people involved. We fully recognise the local community will still be concerned and our investigation very much remains active and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in North West London, said: “We know that community concerns remain heightened and I want to reassure the community that an enhanced, bespoke policing plan and activity, which is particularly focused around vulnerable areas right across London, will continue over coming days and weeks.

“This includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers to help protect certain locations and will also involve highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm.

“I must stress that these are precautionary and not in response to any specific threat, and we continue to work alongside our colleagues in counter terrorism policing to support their investigation.

“We will also continue to work closely with local communities and our partners to listen to their concerns and respond to these.”

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call police on 101 providing the reference 415 of March 23. Alternatively, people can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.