UK Man Arrested For Arson After Fire At PM Starmer’s Residence

<p>A 21-year-old man has been charged with arson with intent to cause a fire at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s home, the Metropolitan Police said.</p>
<p>According to the police statement released on Thursday, Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, faces three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.</p>
<p>The charges, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, relate to three incidents: a vehicle fire in NW5 on May 8, a fire at the entrance of a property in N7 on May 11, and a fire at a residential address in NW5 in the early hours of May 12, Xinhua news agency reported.</p>
<p>The suspect was arrested early Tuesday in connection with a series of suspected arson attacks, including the fire at a property owned by Starmer.</p>
<p>The investigation has been led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command due to its links to a high-profile figure.</p>
<p>In the early hours of May 12, emergency services responded to a fire at the Kentish Town home where Starmer lived before becoming Prime Minister and moving into 10 Downing Street.</p>
<p>Police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to reports of a fire at the residential address at 1:35 British Standard Time.</p>
<p>Damage was caused to the property’s entrance but nobody was hurt.</p>
<p>A car that PM Starmer had sold to a neighbour last year was set alight four days earlier on May 8 on the same street.</p>
<p>One person was helped to safety by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, LFB said.</p>
<p>Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service counterterrorism division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”</p>
<p>”It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”</p>
<p>It is understood that the Prime Minister lived there in the 1990s.</p>
<p>While Starmer and his family lives in 10 Downing Street, he still retains his north London residence.</p>
<p>The string of fires has renewed scrutiny of the security of politicians in the UK and sparked concern and well wishes beyond normally-bitter political rivalries.</p>
<p><em>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</em></p>