Police Probe Suspected Arson at Former East London Synagogue

Counter Terrorism Policing officers in London have launched an investigation into a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in east London early on Tuesday, May 5.

Police and firefighters responded to Nelson Street in Tower Hamlets shortly after 5:10 a.m., when initial CCTV footage showed the fire being deliberately started at the building's entrance. Officers arrived at 5:16 a.m. following an alert from the London Fire Brigade, which extinguished a small blaze causing minor damage to a set of gates and a lock. No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made.

The incident is being treated as arson due to the location's historical ties to the Jewish community, even though the building has not operated as a synagogue for several years. Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who oversees policing in the area, said, "We are taking this incident extremely seriously and we will be working closely with colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing to support the investigation. The building targeted has not been operational as a synagogue for some years but that will be of little comfort to the Jewish community in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and beyond, who are first in...