A third man, a Ukrainian, has been charged over a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, police said on Wednesday.
Petro Pochynok, 34, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, the Metropolitan police said after two others — a Romanian and a Ukrainian — were also charged over the blazes.
Pochynok was to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court later Wednesday.
The charges come after three separate incidents in London — a car fire on May 8 and two separate blazes at homes on May 11 and 12 — all linked to properties associated with the prime minister.
As part of the same investigation a 21-year-old Ukrainian, Roman Lavrynovych, was charged last week with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.
On Tuesday, a second man, Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, appeared in court charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.
Both men were remanded in custody and will appear in court on June 6.
Police said on May 12 they had launched an investigation into a fire that caused damage outside Starmer’s former family home in Kentish Town, north London on the night of May 11.
Starmer still owns the property, UK media said, but he moved into the prime minister’s official residence in Downing Street after his Labour party’s election victory last year.
Police said they were also investigating another fire at a property linked to Starmer on May 11 and a car that was set alight on May 8.
“Due to the property having previous connections with a high-profile public figure, officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command have led the investigation into the fires,” police said.
AFP
