By MATT STRUDWICK
Published: | Updated:
Scotland Yard has tonight charged a man with arson following a series of blazes that targeted Sir Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, of Sydenham, a Ukrainian national has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.
He is accused of setting the Prime Minister’s £2m north London property alight on Monday night, just days after the torching of a car and a flat which the Labour leader had previously owned.
The three fires took place between May 8 and 12.
Lavrynovych is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Sir Keir has let the four-bedroom house in Kentish Town to his sister-in-law on a peppercorn rent since he moved into Downing Street last year.
The blaze damaged the porch of the property, but firefighters were able to bring it under control within 20 minutes stopping it from spreading further indoors.
The head of Counter Terrorism Command issued a statement following the blazes urging any MPs who may be concerned to contact police.
A police officer stands outside Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s private home that was damaged in a fire
Fire damage to a property formerly owned by the Prime Minister in Islington, north London,
Footage shows a dark blue Toyota Rav 4 engulfed in flames as firefighters fought the blaze on VE Day
City mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the three fires had left the Prime Minister’s family feeling ‘frightened’ for their safety.
He told LBC Radio: ‘Don’t underestimate the ripples of fear that [his wife] Vic and the kids felt when they will have read this stuff in the paper.
‘But for the grace of God they are safe thankfully, in Downing Street, they’ve got a protection team.’