A 28-year-old man has been charged with arson after a fire wrecked the constituency office of the Labour MP Sharon Hodgson.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Joshua Oliver had been charged after the blaze at the offices of the MP for Washington and Gateshead South, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday.
The fire gutted the premises, as well as those of a small charity for people with very rare genetic diseases and an NHS mental health service for veterans, which were based in the same building.
Fire investigators were seen on Thursday at the offices in the Concord area of Washington, Tyne and Wear. Graffiti on the side of the building reads “328 days blood on your hands,” although it is believed to have been there for as long as a year.
Christopher Atkinson, of the CPS, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Joshua Oliver with arson following a police investigation into a fire at the offices of Sharon Hodgson MP.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. We have worked closely with Northumbria police as they carried out their investigation.”
Oliver, of no fixed address, will appear at Newcastle magistrates court on Saturday. The CPS urged people not to share information online that could prejudice the legal proceedings.
A No 10 spokesperson condemned the attack: “There is absolutely no place for this kind of violence in our society. All those involved in our democratic process should be able to go about their vital work freely and with confidence.”
Hodgson has been the area’s MP since 2005. After the fire, a spokesperson said: “An incident occurred overnight at Sharon’s office. We will not be commenting or speculating while there is an ongoing police investigation. What we are clear on is there is no place for this kind of violence in our society.
“Sharon will not be deterred and will continue to support her constituents in Washington and Gateshead South as she does day in, day out. Constituents should get in touch with their issues by emailing in the usual way.”
