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At around 1.45 hours today we were called by the London Fire Brigade to report to the fire on Highfield Road, Golders Green
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We attended the scene where four ambulances from Hat Zola, a volunteer led ambulance service run by members of the Jewish community were on fire
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The attack occurred in the car park of a local synagogue where Hat Zola's vehicles for this area are based
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Explosions were heard as oxygen canisters on board the ambulances exploded. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution with 34 residents displaced and road closures put in place
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Thankfully no injuries were reported and all of the fires were safely put out
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Four ambulances have been destroyed but we understand the service remains fully operational
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and able to respond to emergencies. We were able to get local residents back into their homes
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relatively quickly, and I thank them for their patience and understanding This arson attack is being treated as an anti hate crime This is a devastating incident for our Jewish communities and we have launched an immediate investigation to identify those responsible
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Our officers remain on scene to carry out urgent inquiries and to gather CCTV footage and other evidence
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We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage
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stage. CCTV footage appears to show three people in hoods pouring accelerant onto the
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vehicles before igniting them and fleeing. While this has not been declared a terrorist
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incident at this stage, the investigation is now being led by counter-terrorism policing
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with all the specialist expertise they bring and all lines of inquiry remain open. We are
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aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing
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the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team
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but it is not something we can confirm at this point There have been no arrests at this early stage and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible You can do so anonymously if you wish
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We have already spoken to local community and faith leaders and will continue that work today
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A specific policing plan focused on key community locations across the area is underway
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and will continue beyond the coming days as we move towards Passover in early April
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This attack comes at a time when fears are already heightened given global events and recent attacks targeting Jewish communities in other parts of Europe
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The Met Police stands shoulder to shoulder with our partners and communities
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Together, we take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime. We are stepping up our support to Jewish communities across London to engage
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offer reassurance and take practical action to protect people and property. If you have any information about what happened in Golders Green
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please come forward and call the police on 101 providing the reference 415 of 23 March To remain anonymous call the independent charity Crime Stoppers
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on 0800 555 111. Thank you very much. I'm now going to hand over to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Paul Askew
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from the London Fire Brigade. Of course, yeah. Early this morning, the London Fire Brigade control room
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took the first of 56 calls reporting a fire on Highfield Road in Golders Green
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Upon arrival, crews were met with a well-developed fire involving four ambulances
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Several cylinders stored within the vehicles exploded because of the heat, causing damage to the windows of a nearby residential block
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Residents from the immediate area were evacuated to a rest centre as a precaution while crews worked to bring the incident under control
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The fire was safely extinguished overnight. We understand the impact this fire will have on the local community, including our Jewish residents
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The Brigade's community engagement team attended the rest centre last night to support residents that have been directly impacted by the fire
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Alongside our firefighters, they will continue to work with and support the local community in the coming days
