Three males charged after alleged arson attack on Jewish community ambulances

Three males have been charged after four Jewish community ambulances were targeted in an alleged arson attack 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, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

They were charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered after being arrested as part of a Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) investigation.

Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north-west London, were set on fire in the early hours of March 23, causing gas canisters stored in the vehicles to explode.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, 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.”

Two other men aged 45 and 47 who were arrested last week, and are also British, were released on bail until late April.

The case is not being treated as terrorism but CTP said due to “the circumstances of the incident” the investigation is being led by its detectives.

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter terrorism division said: “We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.

“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”