‘Arson attack’ on MP’s office wrecks charity and veterans’ mental health unit

A suspected arson attack on an MP’s office has also wrecked a charity base and an NHS mental health service for veterans, it has emerged.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and criminal damage after the major fire at Washington and Gateshead South MP Sharon Hodgson’s office at Vermont House in Concord, Washington, Tyne and Wear, in the early hours of Thursday.

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

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

It is understood to have been daubed on the wall last September and is believed to be a reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Last week a brick was thrown at a window of Vermont House, it was understood.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services attended and no-one is reported to have been injured in the incident.

“A man in his 20s has subsequently been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and arson.

“He remains in police custody at this time.”

The small charity Niemann-Pick UK (NP UK), which supports patients and families with an extremely rare and life-limiting group of genetic diseases, was also based at Vermont House.

Its offices were destroyed in the fire and a spokesperson said there had been a number of attacks on the MP’s office in recent months.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust said its Op Courage unit, which helps people leaving or who have left the armed services with their mental health, was based in Vermont House.

It said appointments have been rescheduled for other sites.

A spokesperson for Ms Hodgson said: “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.”

Downing Street condemned the attack on Ms Hodgson’s office, saying politicians should be able to go about their work “freely and with confidence”.

On social media, City of Durham Labour MP Mary Kelly Foy wrote: “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.”

CNTW trust group director Andy Airey said: “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff.

“We have robust contingency plans in place for incidents such as this, which we activated immediately.

“Whilst the fire has impacted the site, the delivery of our services has not been affected.

“All face-to-face appointments for today and tomorrow have been moved to remote consultations or relocated to alternative sites. No appointments have been cancelled.

“We are currently preparing one of our hospital sites to serve as a temporary base for Op Courage, which will be operational from Monday.”

NP UK’s head of communications, John Taggart, told the PA news agency that it was suspected that the fire started in shared bins and spread to the MP’s office, then the charity and up to the NHS unit.

He said: “We are right in the middle of both of those and although we have not been allowed in to have a look, we have been told by the landlord that there’s not much left.

“We have been in operation for 34 years and it is going to be really hard to recover.

“This is a vital service and we are a small charity.”

On its Facebook page, the charity said the suspected attack was the latest in a series of incidents targeting the MP.

The charity said: “We have been dealing with threats, graffiti and demonstrations targeted at the MP in our office complex for many months, and this appears to be the culmination, although nothing concrete has been ascertained as of yet.”

The post added: “This is a huge shock to the entire team, times for small charities are harder than ever and this is the absolute last thing we needed.

“In the coming days we will contact our insurers, construct a continuity plan and seek legal advice if required.”

The charity has set up a fundraising page to help it continue, while stressing it will do all it can for affected families and patients.

It said: “As an organisation we deal with a rare disease… we made it thorough the struggles of Covid… and we will make it through this. Thank you x.”

To support the charity, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-appeal-save-npuk-after-devastating-fire