A fire which ripped through an East London house yesterday afternoon is being treated as a potential antisemitic hate crime, police have said.
The fire – which devastated two floors of a three-storey home on Newick Road in Hackney – injured four people, none of whom are in a life-threatening condition.
A man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life near the scene, and made what the Metropolitan Police said were threatening and “allegedly antisemitic” comments.
The man also suffered minor injuries as a result of the fire, and was hospitalised following the blaze.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway said if the attack was a hate crime, it would be “concerning news for our Jewish communities in Hackney and beyond.”
He continued: “I and my officers will be engaging with partners including the Community Safety Trust and the Shomrim to answer their questions and listen to their views.
“Whilst the investigation will continue to explore the motivation for this offence, we believe at this stage that this was centred on a localised housing-related issue.
“We have no indication, at this very early stage, that the motivation was connected with any specific local or global events.”
Det Ch Supt Conway said police had a “robust” plan in place, including increased police visibility and patrols, as Jewish communities begin celebrations for Purim, a religious holiday falling on March 23-24.
London Fire Brigade said eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters from nearby Shoreditch, Stoke Newington and Bethnal Green had attended the scene.
The Brigade confirmed the ground and first floors of the three-storey house were destroyed by the fire, and noted that three people had left the building before firefighters arrived while four were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
Station Commander Alan Bendell, who attended the scene, said: “Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control and stop the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties.”
