Comment: This sordid, secretive episode couldn't more perfectly encapsulate the odious relationship between the British security class and Ukraine/eastern Europe.


Stanislav Carpiuc starmer
'Aspiring model' Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, who lives in Romford, is one of three men who have been charged
A fifth man has been arrested after two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer were targeted in north London in alleged arson attacks last year.

Scotland Yard said a 19-year-old male was arrested yesterday in Harlow, Essex, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson.

He was taken into custody at Essex police station for questioning and has since been released under investigation.

The arrest is in relation to a Met Police investigation into a vehicle blaze last year on May 8, a fire at the entrance of a property on May 11 and a fire at a residential address on May 12 that are connected to the Prime Minister.


Comment: The properties in question are OWNED by Starmer, or his wife, or one of his siblings.


A fourth man, 48, who was arrested at Stansted Airport in June last year on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life has been released without charge.

Three men have already been charged in connection with the fires: Ukrainians Petro Pochynok, 35, and Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and 27-year-old Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc.

Pochynok has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, Lavrynovych with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life, while Carpiuc has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

They all deny the charges and have been remanded in custody ahead of a trial at the Old Bailey on April 27.

The charges relate to three arson incidents: a vehicle fire in Kentish Town, a fire at the Prime Minister's private home in the same street, and another blaze at an address where he previously lived in the Islington area.

One of the fires took place in the early hours of May 12 at the property where Sir Keir lived before he became Prime Minister and moved into Downing Street.

A car was torched in the same street four days earlier on May 8.

The other fire took place on May 11 at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington.

Sir Keir has let his £2million private home in the Kentish Town area of north London to his sister-in-law on a peppercorn rent since he moved into 10 Downing Street following his general election victory.

The property was set alight in the early hours of May 12, with the London Fire Brigade alerting police to reports of a fire there at 1.35am.

The blaze damaged the porch of the property but no one was hurt.

Firefighters were able to bring it under control within 20 minutes, stopping it from spreading further indoors.

It came just 24 hours after a flat the Prime Minister previously lived at, in the nearby Islington area, caught fire.

Firefighters attended the blaze, helping one person to safety, with the door of the property suffering fire damage.

On May 8, in the same street as Sir Keir's Kentish Town property, a car he sold to a neighbour last year also burst into flames.

The new owner of the Toyota Rav 4 is understood to have thought the fire started because of a faulty battery.

The hybrid car was completely destroyed in the blaze, which occurred on VE Day.

The Met's Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation as all three targets of the alleged arson attacks have 'previous connections with a high-profile public figure'.