Teen charged after accelerant thrown through Harrow synagogue window

A 17-year-old boy from Brent was charged after a bottle containing an accelerant was thrown through a window at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, leaving minor fire damage but injuring no one.

Police said the attack happened at about 23:35 on Saturday, 18 April, on Shaftesbury Avenue in Harrow. Officers carrying out security checks at local synagogues came across the crime scene around midnight and alerted the London Fire Brigade. The fire caused minor damage to the premises, including smoke damage to an internal room.

The teenager, a British national who has not been named because of his age, was charged with arson not endangering life. He was arrested with a 19-year-old man at separate addresses in north-west London at about 22:10 on Sunday, 19 April. The older suspect was bailed pending further enquiries. The teen is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 21 April.

Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation. The Metropolitan Police said multiple arrests had now been made in connection with three separate arson attacks in north-west London, including an arson attack on volunteer-led Jewish ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March, an attempted arson attack at a synagogue in Finchley shortly after midnight on 15 April, and an arson attack on the offices of a Persian-language media organisation in north-west London on 15 April.

CCTV from the Harrow synagogue showed two suspects in dark clothing and balaclavas placing two glass bottles beside the windows and throwing a brick at the building. One of the bottles, which police said contained a substance suspected to be petrol, was smashed by the brick. Rabbi Yehuda Black said the firebomb was thrown into the medical room.

The attack has intensified concern inside the Jewish community about security at houses of worship, where overnight patrols, cameras and physical barriers often have to stand in for broader protection. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it a cowardly attack and said a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the UK Jewish community was gathering momentum. The Community Security Trust said there were no injuries and no significant structural damage, but that the incident was another in a string of attacks targeting Jewish institutions.

Brent Council said it would not tolerate hate from those seeking to divide the community. Police have also said they are examining whether some of the recent incidents may be linked to suspected foreign proxy involvement, underscoring the wider security concerns now surrounding the case.