Third man charged over fires at homes linked to Keir Starmer

A Ukrainian national has become the third man charged over fires at homes and a car linked to prime minister Keir Starmer.

Petro Pochynok, 34, has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the suspected arson attacks in north London, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old is accused of conspiring together with fellow Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc and others unknown to “damage by fire property belonging to another, intending to damage the property, and intending to endanger the life or another or being reckless as to whether the life of another would thereby be endangered”.

The man was arrested on Monday in the Chelsea area of west London (PA)Pochynok, of north London, was arrested on Monday in the Chelsea area of west London and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.

Police were called by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire at an address in Kentish Town at 1.35am on 12 May. Damage was caused to the entrance of the property, where Sir Keir lived with his family before they moved into 10 Downing Street, but no one was injured.

The previous week, in the early hours of 8 May, there was a blaze in a car connected to the prime minister in the same street.

Damage was caused to the entrance of the property, where Sir Keir lived with his family before they moved into 10 Downing Street, but no one was injured (House of Commons)Then, in the early hours of 11 May, firefighters dealt with a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington, which is also linked to Sir Keir.

Lavrynovych, 21, of Sydenham, south-east London – who denied the charges in a police interview – appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the Old Bailey scheduled for 6 June.

Carpiuc, 26, of Romford, east London, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to appear alongside Lavrynovych on the same date.