London ambulances set on fire in suspected antisemitic incident

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London’s Metropolitan Police said an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community service was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.

Police said the Jewish community ambulance vehicles were found on fire in the Golders Green area of north London in the early hours of Monday.

Nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution and road closures were put in place, with no injuries reported, the police said.

Reports of explosions were believed to be linked to gas canisters in the ambulances, they added, and footage from CCTV cameras was being examined.

“We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage,” the Met said.

“We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern . . . we will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols,” a police superintendent said.

The ambulances belonged to Hatzola, which its website describes as a non-profit organisation that has provided emergency care in north London since it was set up in 1979.