A new map shows arson attacks in London over the last three years, with the latest data showing incidents are on the rise. Arson offences across the city have increased by 28 per cent, from 1,894 incidents reported in 2022 to 2,430 recorded in 2024, according to data published by the London Assembly. A quarter of those involved people aged 17 and under, according to the London Fire Brigade.
A map created by MyLondon showed the most incidents happened in the West Thamesmead area, rising from 16 in 2022 to over 60 a year in 2023 and 2024. There was also an explosion in incidents in Uxbridge, where there were 12 in 2022 and 2023 then 26 in 2024.
The data comes after a series of alleged fire bomb attacks on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s private home and a previous address in Kentish Town. The PM told The Observer his family were ‘shaken’ by the incident, which he claimed ‘could have been a different story’. Two Ukrainians and one Romanian are due to stand trial next year.
Last month two men also admitted setting fire to a Ukrainian-owned warehouse in Leyton, East London, with another six set to go on trial. The attack was allegedly ordered by the Wagner mercenary group – a private military contractor linked to Russia, and proscribed as a terrorist organisation, with operatives in Syria, Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya.
The same month two teenagers were locked up after the death of 76-year-old Robert Price, who died in a fire started by fireworks. Nathan Otitodilchukwu, 18, and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named due to his age, threatened to ‘torch’ the pensioner before punching a hole in his window and pushing a firework into his home on Oval Road North, Dagenham, last July.
Chair of the Fire Committee Zack Polanski AM wrote to the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan to share ‘deep concern’ about a ‘sustained increase’ in arson incidents over the last three years.
Mr Polanski has called for an Arson Task Group to assess emerging risks, and for better data management by the GLA to inform risk prevention work.
“Arson offences can have devastating consequences, and there has been an alarming increase in their number in recent years,” said the Green Party deputy.
“The Committee is calling on the Mayor to set up a Task Group which combines the expertise of the London Fire Brigade, London Boroughs and the Metropolitan Police Service.
“In the face of new and emerging risks, including the threat posed by hostile states, it is vital that the Mayor and the GLA play their part in tackling the dangers posed to Londoners by arson.”
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