A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Portsmouth in connection with an attempted arson attack on a north London synagogue, bringing the total number of people detained as part of investigations into attacks on Jewish sites across the capital to 30.
The teenager was arrested at an address in Portsmouth on Thursday morning and taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police, becoming the third person held over the attempted attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue on Fallow Court Avenue in the early hours of 15 April. No damage was caused to the building and nobody was injured. A 38-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man had previously been arrested in Watford on the day of the incident on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. Both have since been released on bail until July.
The case is being investigated by the Met’s Counter Terrorism unit — one of a series of investigations into attacks on Jewish sites in London that have been running since March. Of the 30 people arrested across those various investigations, eight have so far been charged with offences. A 17-year-old boy has already pleaded guilty to arson in connection with a separate incident at Kenton Synagogue.
The most recent attack occurred on Tuesday at a former synagogue in Whitechapel, east London — a building that had been due to go to auction earlier this year following a bid from a Muslim group seeking to convert it into a mosque and community centre. The Met said detectives were “aware of the potential change of use of this building and keeping an open mind as to any motivation behind this incident.”
The wave of attacks has contributed to a significant escalation in the assessed threat to the United Kingdom. On 30 April, the national threat level was raised from substantial to severe — the first increase in more than four years — following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, the previous day.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Police London, said officers were working to provide “protective security advice and support to various organisations, community venues and businesses.” She urged the public to remain vigilant, adding: “With the threat level now raised to severe, everyone can play their part to keep themselves and their communities safe. If you have concerns about someone behaving suspiciously, please report it to us. Your information could help us save lives.”
