Man charged with arson after ‘around 10’ fires started in popular London park

Police have issued a warning after a man was charged with arson following several small fires in east London.

Emergency services responded to multiple reports of a man starting fires in London Fields, near Lansdowne Drive, Hackney shortly after 5am on Saturday.

The London Fire Brigade quickly extinguished around 10 fires within London Fields, a popular green space in the capital. There were no reported injuries.

Metropolitan Police attended and a man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of arson, setting fires and possession of a Class A drug.

Later that day, Isaac Shozi, 50, of Bodney Road, Hackney, was charged with arson and remanded in custody to appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Monday at 10am.

Detective superintendent Liz Cumber, who leads policing in central east London, issued a warning for people not to start fires with the heightened risk of wildfires.

She said: “No one can be in any doubt about the dangers of starting fires, particularly following the recent hot weather and heightened risk of wildfires. Even small fires can spread quickly and put people, buildings and open spaces at risk.

“We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and work closely with partners, including the London Fire Brigade. We will investigate all incidents, identify those responsible and ensure appropriate action is taken against those who are reported to have endangered the public.”

It comes as unprecedented dry and hot conditions this summer have left Britain in tinderbox conditions with numerous wildfires across the country.

Military personnel have joined crews in South Wales fighting 14 wildfires as emergency services warn that risk remains high for next week.

On Friday evening, millions of people in England and Wales received an alert on their mobile devices warning them of a “very high risk of wildfires nationally”.

It came after prime minister Andy Burnham described Britain as a “tinderbox” and a temporary ban on disposable barbecues was put in place.

West Midlands Fire Service declared a major incident on Thursday as a wildfire spread across more than 500 acres and destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge.

It was one of several blazes to ravage the UK this week as temperatures soared and the hottest day of the year was recorded.