MP will ‘not be deterred’ following major fire at constituency office

A Labour MP will “not be deterred” following a major fire which wrecked her constituency office, her spokesman said.

Police have cordoned off the office for Washington and Gateshead South MP Sharon Hodgson and fire investigators were at the scene on Thursday morning.

Vermont House, which is home to several small businesses in Concord, Washington, Tyne and Wear, is in a square with an open area in the middle.

Aerial images show the roof in one corner have been destroyed and much of the building has been damaged.

Graffiti on a wall read: “328 days blood on your hands.”

A spokesperson for Ms Hodgson 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.”

A spokesperson for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: “We can confirm that at the height of the incident, seven appliances, including an aerial ladder platform, attended a building fire in Washington during the early hours of this morning.

“The emergency call was received by our Control Room at 00:12, and the first crew arrived on Woodland Terrace in Concord within four minutes.

“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus (BA) used jets and a hose reel to extinguish the fire and worked alongside blue light colleagues to make the scene safe.

“No casualties were reported.”

Chief fire officer, Peter Heath, said: “I want to commend our crews for their swift and professional response to this serious incident.

“Their actions ensured the fire was contained quickly and safely, with no reported casualties.

“We continue to work closely with our partners as investigations progress.”

Councillor Phil Tye, chairman of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.

“I’d like to thank our firefighters and control staff for their dedication and teamwork during what may be a challenging investigation.”

The Government said the “thoughts of the whole House” will be with Ms Hodgson.

It came after Middlesbrough and Thornaby Labour MP, Andy McDonald, mentioned the fire during a question in the House of Commons.

He said: “I’m sure I speak for the whole House in sending our best wishes to our colleague in Washington and Gateshead South for the appalling fire at her office overnight, and send our very best wishes to her and her staff.”

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: “I wasn’t aware of the terrible instance he referred to this morning, I’ve just been informed and I’m sure the thoughts of the whole House will be with our colleague.”

He added: “I think particularly in light of international events, and the tragic loss of colleagues, this all the more underlines why we must have security and safety to go about democratic debate in this country, whatever our views, in a safe and secure way.”

The attack on Ms Hodgson’s office followed a “number of incidents”, Labour MP Kim Johnson told the Commons.

The Liverpool, Riverside MP said: “I’d also like to offer my support to my honourable friend, the member for Washington and Gateshead.

“This incident follows a number of incidents that she’s experienced.”

“It’s out of order,” she added.

On social media, City of Durham Labour MP Mary Kelly wrote: “Sending love and support to my friend Sharon Hodgson MP and her team today after another attack on their office building.

“After the shocking murder of a political influencer mere hours ago in the US, MPs in the UK woke to scenes of one of our colleagues’ offices being targeted.

“No matter which part of the political spectrum you fall into – this is intimidation by thugs and they must face the full force of the law.

“Serious thought needs to be given to how this impacts staff in constituency offices, like Sharon’s, who frankly work their arses off every day to support local people.

“Anyone supporting this type of violence toward MPs and their teams needs to take a long hard look in the mirror.”