3 hours ago
3
London — A 21-year-old antheral was arrested aboriginal Tuesday successful transportation with a bid of suspected arson attacks aft fires broke retired astatine properties linked to a "high illustration figure," London's Metropolitan Police said. CBS News' spouse web BBC News said the precocious illustration fig is U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The antheral detained Tuesday is being held connected suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, according to the police.
Early Monday morning, firefighters were called retired to a blaze astatine Starmer's backstage residence successful North London. Starmer presently does not unrecorded determination arsenic helium resides astatine the U.K. premier minister's authoritative residence astatine 10 Downing Street, successful the halfway of the city.
A constabulary cordon is seen connected a thoroughfare wherever a occurrence broke retired astatine a home, reportedly the backstage residence of Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, successful northbound London, England, May 12, 2025.
Paul Sandle/REUTERS
Firefighters had besides responded to a tiny occurrence aboriginal Sunday astatine the beforehand doorway of a adjacent flat gathering linked to Starmer. One idiosyncratic was escorted to information and treated for fume inhalation, but nary 1 was wounded successful the blaze, the London Fire Brigade said.
A 3rd occurrence successful a car was reported overnight Thursday past week connected the aforesaid thoroughfare arsenic Starmer's backstage residence, which is besides being investigated and is believed to perchance beryllium linked to the antheral who was detained connected Tuesday, the constabulary said.
"As a precaution and owed to the spot having erstwhile connections with a high-profile nationalist figure, officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command are starring the probe into this fire," the constabulary said. "All 3 fires are being treated arsenic suspicious astatine this time, and enquiries stay ongoing."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks astatine a quality league successful London, May 12, 2025.
Bloomberg
On Monday, Starmer thanked the exigency services for their enactment but declined to supply immoderate further accusation connected who, if anyone, was wrong his backstage residence erstwhile the occurrence was started.
Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital planetary reporter, based successful the CBS News London bureau.
English (US) ·