Third man arrested over fires at homes linked to PM

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A third man has been arrested over alleged arson attacks at properties connected to Sir Keir Starmer, the Met Police says.

The 34-year-old was arrested on Monday morning in Chelsea, south-west London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, the force said.

His arrest follows that of two other men in connection with the fires.

They relate to three incidents: a vehicle fire in Kentish Town, a fire at the prime minister's private home on the same street, and a fire at an address where he previously lived in north-west London.

On Saturday, a 26-year-old man had been arrested at Luton Airport on suspicion of the same offence.

A third man, Roman Lavrynovych, 21, has already been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.

He appeared in court last Friday where he entered no pleas to the charges.

The BBC understands that Mr Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian national, is a builder and roofer. He denied arson in a police interview.

He has been remanded in custody until the next scheduled hearing at the Old Bailey on 6 June.

Meanwhile, police have been given extra time to question the man who was arrested at Luton Airport. He remains in police custody and has not been named.

There are three separate incidents being investigated in a probe led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command because of the connection with a high-profile public figure.

Emergency services responded to a fire in the early hours of 12 May at the Kentish Town home where Sir Keir lived before he became prime minister and moved into 10 Downing Street.

Damage was caused to the entrance of the property, which it is understood Sir Keir still owns and rents out, but nobody was hurt.

Four days earlier, on 8 May, a car Sir Keir had sold to a neighbour in 2024 caught fire on the same street.

The third fire took place on 11 May at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington. The prime minister had previously lived there.

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