Published: 17:41, May 21, 2025
Ukrainian becomes third man to be charged with fires linked to UK PM Starmer
By Reuters
Police officers patrol outside the home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on May 13, 2025.  (PHOTO / AFP)

LONDON - British police on Wednesday charged a third man, a Ukrainian national, with arson offences over a series of fires at properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Over five days earlier this month, police were called to fires at a house in north London owned by Starmer, another at a property nearby where he used to live, and to a blaze involving a car that also used to belong to the British leader.

Petro Pochynok, 34, was charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, and will appear in a London court later on Wednesday, police said in a statement.

READ MORE: Second man charged over fires at properties linked to UK PM Starmer

Two men, Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, who was born in Ukraine, have both been remanded in police custody after being charged over the last few days in connection with the fires.

None of the suspects have been charged under terrorism laws or the new National Security Act which aims to target hostile state activity.

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Starmer, who has lived at his official 10 Downing Street residence in central London since becoming prime minister last July, has called the incidents "an attack on all of us, on our democracy and the values we stand for".