Police in London are investigating an overnight fire that destroyed four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency medical service Hatzola Northwest as an antisemitic hate crime, after what officers said was a suspected arson attack in Golders Green.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Highfield Road in north-west London at about 1.45am on Monday after the London Fire Brigade reported vehicles on fire. No injuries were reported, but all four ambulances were destroyed or severely damaged.
Firefighters said several medical oxygen cylinders on board the vehicles exploded during the blaze, sending loud blasts across the area, shattering windows in a nearby block of flats and forcing the temporary evacuation of residents as a precaution.
The London Fire Brigade said it sent six fire engines and about 40 firefighters to the scene. The fire was brought under control shortly after 3am.
The Met said the case was being treated as suspected arson and an antisemitic hate crime. Officers from its hate crime teams and Counter Terrorism Command are involved in the inquiry, although police said the attack has not been formally classified as a terrorist incident at this stage.
A crime scene remained in place on Monday and extra patrols were deployed in the area, police said.
Investigators are seeking three suspects seen on CCTV footage near at least one of the ambulances. Video circulated by British media appeared to show three hooded figures in dark clothing carrying a canister towards a vehicle before flames broke out. No arrests had been announced by Monday afternoon.
Police appealed for witnesses and for anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from Highfield Road and surrounding roads in the early hours of Monday to come forward.
Hatzola Northwest is a charity-run ambulance and first-response service based in London’s Jewish community. Founded in 1979, it is staffed largely by volunteers and operates mainly in neighbourhoods such as Golders Green and Hendon, while also working alongside the London Ambulance Service. The organisation has said it responds to anyone who needs emergency help, regardless of faith or background.
The attack took place in Golders Green, in the borough of Barnet, an area with one of the largest Jewish populations in the capital. The destruction of clearly identifiable community ambulances is likely to deepen concern in a neighbourhood that has been on heightened alert over antisemitic incidents.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the fire as a “deeply shocking” and “horrific” antisemitic attack and urged anyone with information to contact police. London mayor Sadiq Khan said the assault was cowardly and that the capital would stand with its Jewish communities.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called the attack a “sickening assault” on a vital communal service. The Jewish Leadership Council said it was particularly disturbing that hatred of Jews had been directed at emergency medical vehicles.
Shomrim, the Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch group, said the ambulances had been targeted in a deeply concerning attack on an essential local service.
The incident comes amid sustained concern over rising antisemitism in Britain since the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the war in Gaza. The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitic incidents in the UK, said it recorded 3,700 cases in 2025, compared with 1,662 in 2022.
Police said their investigation was continuing and asked the public not to speculate while detectives worked to identify those responsible.