Ronan Lavrynovych has been accused of three arson attacks against the Prime Minister and will appear in court today
A Ukrainian national has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life over fires at two properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych,21,is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
In the early hours of Monday,the emergency services responded to a fire at the Kentish Town home where Sir Keir Starmer lived before becoming PM and moving into 10 Downing Street.
Neighbours of the suspect described how he seemed ‘just a normal guy’ and said that police and forensics were at his flat earlier this week.
There was also a police dog searching in the front garden of the property as officers trawled for clues,they said.
John Roach, 49,told Metro: ‘There were forensics in a van around and an officer with a dog. They were searching the garden at the front of the house.’
The Toyota car was allegedly set on fire close to where the Prime Minister lives
Another neighbour said: ‘I heard some banging and saw a police car.
‘The guy arrested just seemed normal,nothing to say really just a pleasant looking young man.’
A third added: ‘I saw a cop car and officers. It’s a quiet,nice road,so it was a bit of a shock.’
Police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to reports of a fire at the residential address at 1.35am.
Damage was caused to the property’s entrance,but nobody was hurt.
A car linked to Sir Keir was set alight in the early hours of Thursday May 8 in the same street.
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In the early hours of Sunday,firefighters dealt with a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington,which is also linked to the Prime Minister.
The emergency services responded to a fire at the Kentish Town home where Sir Keir Starmer lived before becoming PM and moving into 10 Downing Street (Picture: Toby Shepheard/Story Picture A)
One person was assisted to safety via an internal staircase by crews wearing breathing apparatus,LFB said.
Lavrynovych was arrested at an address in Sydenham,south-east London,in the early hours of Tuesday and charged on Thursday.
Bethan David,head of the Crown Prosecution Service counter terrorism division,said: ‘Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s counter terrorism command,we have authorised criminal charges against a 21-year-old man after three fires in north London.
‘Roman Lavrynovych has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life would be endangered,contrary to section 1(2) and (3) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
‘These charges relate to two fires at residential addresses in Islington on Sunday,May,11 2025,and in Kentish Town on Monday May 12,2025,as well as a car fire in Kentish Town on Thursday,May 8,2025.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting,commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
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