London police have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of plotting to set fire to the home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The arrest took place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at around 13:45 pm local time at Luton Airport. According to The Guardian, the arrest was carried out by officers from the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, which underlines the seriousness of the case involving the head of government. The suspect was taken to a police station for questioning; his identity has not yet been disclosed.

The incident is linked to a series of arson attacks that began in early May. The fire at Starmer's home on Countess Road in Kentish Town, north London, broke out in the early hours of 12 May. The front door of the building was damaged but no-one was injured. The home, which Starmer lived in for almost 20 years before moving to Downing Street in July 2024 after becoming prime minister, is now available for rent and is valued at £2 million. Police have classified the fire as a terrorist attack and handed the investigation over to the counter-terrorism unit because of the property's links to a high-profile figure.

Earlier, on 13 May, police arrested the first suspect, 21-year-old Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, who lives in Sydenham, south-east London. He has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life. According to Scotland Yard, Lavrynovych was involved in three incidents: the arson of a car on 8 May on the same street where Starmer's home is located, a fire at the entrance to a building in Islington on 11 May, which has been linked to Starmer since the 1990s, and a fire at the prime minister's home on 12 May. Lavrynovych appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 May, and the investigation into him is ongoing.

Police are investigating whether there is a link between the two suspects. The arrest of a 26-year-old man at Luton Airport is linked to suspicions of conspiracy to commit arson endangering life. According to The Mirror, the arrest was the result of operational work by the counter-terrorism unit, which is investigating motives and the possible involvement of third parties. A loud bang was reportedly heard before the fire in the Kentish Town area on May 12, indicating the possible use of an incendiary device or Molotov cocktail.