Three people have been charged over an alleged arson attack on Jewish volunteer ambulances in north-west London.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, both British nationals from Leyton, and a 17-year-old boy, a dual British and Pakistani national from Walthamstow, were charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
The three suspects were arrested on Wednesday at different locations in east London and officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London (CTPL) carried out searches at these addresses, the Metropolitan police said.
Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area, were set on fire in the early hours of 23 March, causing gas canisters stored in the vehicles to explode.
Iqbal, Khan and the 17-year-old are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Saturday.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTPL, which is leading the investigation, said: “Since this appalling attack last week, we have been working continuously to investigate and identify those responsible. The investigation has now reached a stage where three people have been charged and they will now appear in court.
“I want to reiterate that the support we had from the local community since this attack took place has been incredible, and we will continue to work closely with local policing colleagues to do everything we can to keep the public safe.”
The Met said the incident has not been declared as terrorism but due to the circumstances of the incident the investigation is being led by detectives from CTPL.
Two men who were arrested on 25 March have been released on bail to a date in late-April, pending further inquiries, the force added.
Det Ch Supt Luke Williams, who leads policing in north-west London, said: “We know that local community concerns continue to remain high – particularly for our Jewish communities in the Passover festival period.
“Since the arson attack, we have put in place an enhanced, bespoke policing plan, which has been focused around vulnerable areas not only in Golders Green, but right across London.
“This has involved a significant number of additional officers on the ground, with the aim of protecting communities, disrupting offenders, and detecting crime.
“This activity is ongoing and will continue over the coming days and includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers. It is also being supported by highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm.”
