An arson attack on four ambulances in north London is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime by the Metropolitan Police.
The vehicles, belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service Hatzolah, were set on fire in Golders Green at around 1.45am on Monday morning.
Officers arrived at Highfield Road to find four ambulances ablaze.
Explosions were reported at the scene, but are believed to have been caused by gas canisters onboard the vehicles.
Hatzolah is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation providing free emergency medical care and transport to hospitals for the Jewish community.
It has operated in north London since 1979.
No injuries have been reported and the fires have now been extinguished.
Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the area, said: “We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries.
“We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage.
“There have been no arrests yet, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible – you can do so anonymously if you wish.
“We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence.”
Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution and road closures remain in place.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 quoting CAD415 of 23 March, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.
More to follow…