Two men and a teenage boy have been charged over an arson attack on Jewish community-run ambulances in Golders Green.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, both British nationals from Leyton, east London, have been charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
A 17-year-old boy, a dual British and Pakistani national from Walthamstow who cannot be named due to his age, has also been charged.
They were all arrested on April 1, at different locations in east London and officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London have carried out searches at these addresses.
Mr Iqbal, Mr Khan and the 17-year-old are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, which is leading the investigation said: “Since this appalling attack last week, we have been working continuously to investigate and identify those responsible.
“The investigation has now reached a stage where three people have been charged and they will now appear in court.
“I want to reiterate that the support we had from the local community since this attack took place has been incredible, and we will continue to work closely with local policing colleagues to do everything we can to keep the public safe.”
The scene from the car park in Golders Green | GETTY
At this stage, the incident has not been declared as terrorism, but due to the circumstances of the incident, along with the specialist capability within CTP, the investigation is being led by detectives from CTP London.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in North West London said: “We know that local community concerns continue to remain high, particularly for our Jewish communities in the Passover festival period.
“Since the arson attack, we have put in place an enhanced, bespoke policing plan, which has been focused around vulnerable areas not only in Golders Green, but right across London.
“This has involved a significant number of additional officers on the ground, with the aim of protecting communities, disrupting offenders, and detecting crime.
“This activity is ongoing and will continue over the coming days and includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers.
“It is also being supported by highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm.”
Multiple volunteer ambulances were destroyed
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GETTYFour ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north-west London, were set on fire in the early hours of March 23, causing gas canisters stored in the vehicles to explode.
Two men who were previously arrested on March 25, have both been released on bail to a date in late-April, pending further enquiries.