By SCM REPORTER I 21 April 2026
A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged by counter-terrorism police following a weekend fire attack on a synagogue in North West London.
The British teenager, from Brent, was hauled before Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Tuesday) after a dramatic 48-hour investigation by specialist anti-terror officers.
The charge follows a late-night strike on the Kenton United Synagogue in Shaftesbury Avenue, Harrow, on Saturday night.
The alarm was raised around midnight when Metropolitan Police officers, who were out conducting high-visibility security checks at local Jewish places of worship, stumbled across the crime scene.
They alerted the London Fire Brigade, who managed to contain the blaze. While the building suffered “minor damage,” authorities confirmed that nobody was injured in the attack.
Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing London moved quickly, swooping on two addresses in North West London at 10:10 PM on Sunday night.
The 17-year-old: Charged with arson not endangering life.
A 19-year-old man: Arrested on suspicion of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered. He has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
The teenage defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remained in custody overnight before his court appearance today.
Background: A Community on Edge
The attack on Kenton Synagogue comes at a time of heightened sensitivity for London’s Jewish community. Over the last several years, the Metropolitan Police have significantly increased patrols around religious sites due to fluctuating global tensions and a rise in reported hate crimes.
Kenton United Synagogue is a long-standing pillar of the Harrow community. While the physical damage was limited, the involvement of Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) underlines the seriousness with which the Met is treating the incident.
”The prompt discovery of the scene by officers on proactive patrols likely prevented a much more serious incident,” a police source commented.
Security remains tight across synagogues in the capital today as the investigation continues.
