Four ambulances operated by Jewish medical service charity Hatzola have been damaged or destroyed in an arson attack in London in the early hours of this morning.
At around 1:45am this morning, police were called by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire in Golders Green, in the northwest of the city, and found that four ambulances had been burnt by the fire.
Metropolitan Police officers remain on the scene and the arson attack is now being treated as a antisemitic hate crime, the service confirmed in a statement this morning.
Nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution. No injuries have initially been reported and all the fires have since been extinguished.
Hatzola was established in 1979 and is run by volunteers, providing free medical transportation and emergency response to those living in north London.
Regulator offers support
Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the local area, said this morning that the service was initially looking for three suspects, with no arrests made at the time.
“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,” she said.
In a further update, the Metropolitan Police said the investigation was being led by Counter Terrorism Policing.
Chief executive of the Charity Commission, David Holdsworth, said: “The commission stands with the Jewish community and the organisations that work to keep Jewish people in this country safe.
“When charities representing different parts of our society are increasingly victims of vilification and violence, it is for all of us to speak out and stand with those being attacked.
“We have offered support and assistance to the leaders of Hatzola Northwest Trust, the charity which runs the ambulance service, and will do what we can to support them in continuing the charity’s life-saving work.”
The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in the UK and assists victims, said in a statement on social media: “The antisemitic arson attack against Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green has obvious comparison to similar recent attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.”
Hatzola has been contacted for comment.
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