Former East London synagogue fire treated as attempted arson
A fire at a building formerly used as a synagogue in east London is being treated by police as an attempted arson attack.
The Metropolitan Police said the blaze broke out at the former East London Central Synagogue in Nelson Street, Tower Hamlets, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Officers said police were called at 5:16am by the London Fire Brigade, and initial CCTV enquiries indicate the fire was started intentionally at about 5:10am.
The force said minor damage was caused to a set of gates and the building's front locks, and no one was injured.
Because the location was a former synagogue, Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation.
The case matters now because it comes amid a series of arson attacks on Jewish community sites in London, and follows recent stabbings in Golders Green.
Police have not announced any arrests.
The incident adds to concern around attacks linked to Jewish sites in the capital, but the immediate focus remains on establishing who started the fire and why.
The Metropolitan Police, Counter Terrorism Policing London and the London Fire Brigade have all been involved in the response, while the building itself is identified as the former East London Central Synagogue in Tower Hamlets.
What remains unclear is who is responsible and whether the fire is connected to any wider pattern of incidents.
Investigators have said the matter is being treated as arson, and further updates are expected as enquiries continue.
