An arson attack on four ambulances in north London is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime by the Metropolitan Police.
The vehicles, belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service Hatzolah, were set on fire in Golders Green at around 1.45am on Monday morning.
Officers arrived at Highfield Road to find four ambulances ablaze.
Explosions were reported at the scene, but are believed to have been caused by gas canisters onboard the vehicles.
Hatzolah is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation providing free emergency medical care and transport to hospitals for the Jewish community.
It has operated in north London since 1979.
Unverified CCTV footage shows three hooded figures approaching an ambulance before a fire starts.
The three are then seen fleeing the scene and running down the street from a different unverified CCTV camera.
No injuries have been reported and the fires have now been extinguished.
The London Fire Brigade said multiple cylinders in the ambulances exploded, causing windows to break in an adjacent block of flats.
Shomrim, a charity which operates a neighbourhood watch in Golders Green, said it strongly condemned the “deliberate anti semitic attack” on Hatzolah ambulances.
“This was not only a criminal act of arson, but a targeted and deeply concerning incident affecting a vital emergency service serving the local Jewish community,” Shomrim said.
The neighbourhood watch group added that it was working closely with the police and relevant authorities to assist with the investigation.
Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the area, said: “We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries.
“We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage.
“There have been no arrests yet, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible – you can do so anonymously if you wish.
“We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence.”
Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution and road closures remain in place.
Golders Green ward councillor Dean Cohen, who was at the scene, told Jewish News the incident was “particularly chilling”, adding it will “send shockwaves through our community at a time of already heightened fears over antisemitism in the UK”.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 quoting CAD415 of March 23, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.
