Keir Starmer: Man arrested after fires at houses related to top minister

The Metropolitan Police have arrested a person on suspicion of arson with intent to hazard lifestyles after fires at houses related to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Police arrested the 21-year-old within the early hours of Tuesday. He stays in custody.

The arrest adopted a fireplace on the top minister’s non-public house in Kentish Town, north London, within the early hours of Monday.

On Sunday, emergency services and products had been referred to as to a small fireplace on the entrance door of a area transformed into residences in close by Islington, a belongings additionally related to Sir Keir.

Police also are taking a look at a automobile fireplace as a part of the investigation.

No one used to be injured within the fires. The top minister’s authentic place of abode is in Downing Street.

Counter-terrorism police took over the investigation. Police are treating the fires as suspicious and investigating whether or not they’re related.

“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,” the Metropolitan Police stated.

The first fireplace underneath investigation took place simply ahead of 03:00 BST on Thursday, when firefighters had been referred to as to a small automobile fireplace at the identical side road because the top minister’s Kentish Town house.

The 2d took place simply after 03:00 on Sunday on the Islington belongings. One individual used to be assisted to protection by the use of an inside staircase through crews dressed in respiring equipment, London Fire Brigade (LFB) stated.

The 3rd came about on the Kentish Town belongings. LFB stated it were referred to as to a “small fire” at 01:11 on Monday that used to be underneath keep watch over about 20 mins later.

There used to be harm to the valuables’s front however no one used to be harm, the Metropolitan Police stated.

On Monday, Sir Keir thanked the emergency services and products for his or her paintings, his authentic spokesman stated.

He added the topic used to be “subject to a live investigation so I can’t comment further”, and declined to offer any longer main points on who used to be within the belongings when the hearth began.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper advised the BBC on Tuesday she were briefed at the incidents however may no longer remark additional.

“Police are investigating these incidents and they have my full support in doing so,” she stated.

“With any incident, there are always the important concerns that all of us will have, but we also have confidence in our police and the work that they are doing to investigate this incident.”