Three more people have been arrested by counter-terrorism detectives in connection with the deliberate torching of ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer service in Golders Green.
The trio – a 20-year-old man, a 19-year-old man, and a 17-year-old boy – were detained early on Wednesday at three separate addresses in East London, the Metropolitan Police said. The 20-year-old and 19-year-old are British nationals, while the 17-year-old is a dual British and Pakistani national. All were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life and remain in police custody, with officers carrying out searches at the arrest locations.
Details of the attack
These latest arrests bring to five the total number of individuals detained in relation to the incident, which police have described as an antisemitic hate crime. Two men, aged 45 and 47, were arrested last week and have been released on bail to a date in late April.
The attack itself occurred in the early hours of Monday, 23 March. Around 1.35am, four ambulances operated by Hatzola, a volunteer-led emergency medical service for north-west London, were set on fire in the car park of the Machzike Hadath synagogue on Highfield Road. The fire, which required six fire engines and 40 firefighters to extinguish, destroyed three vehicles and seriously damaged a fourth.
The severity of the blaze was compounded by gas canisters stored in the ambulances, which exploded. The force of the explosions shattered windows in a nearby apartment block, leading to the precautionary evacuation of some residents. The London Fire Brigade brought the fire under control by 3.06am.
While the investigation is not currently being treated as terrorism, it is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London due to the circumstances and the need for specialist capabilities. Detectives are examining a claim of responsibility from a group described by the SITE Intelligence Group as an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective, identified as the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand (Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya).
Community impact and police response
The targeting of the Hatzola service has been met with widespread condemnation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack,” stating that “Antisemitism has no place in our society.” Health Secretary Wes Streeting described it as a “shocking, cowardly, and despicable act of evil.”
The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said the attack was a “particularly sickening assault” and a “painful illustration of the ongoing battle between those who sanctify life and those who seek to destroy it.”
In response to heightened community concern, particularly with the onset of Passover, the Metropolitan Police has deployed an enhanced policing plan. More than 260 additional officers, supported by specialist capabilities and highly visible armed patrols, have been assigned to areas with significant Jewish populations across London. Drones are also being utilised as “first responders” to provide real-time information. Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said the arrests demonstrated police were doing “everything we can” to bring those responsible to justice.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in North West London, emphasised these were precautionary measures and not in response to any specific threat. The Community Security Trust (CST) has welcomed the arrests and is working with authorities on security. To ensure the continuity of Hatzola’s vital work, the government has pledged to replace the destroyed ambulances, with the London Ambulance Service having loaned four replacement vehicles in the interim.
The incident follows a sharp national rise in reported antisemitic incidents, which increased to 3,700 in 2025 from 1,662 in 2022, according to the CST.
