A man in his 20s has been arrested after a suspected arson attack destroyed the constituency office of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson in Washington, Tyne and Wear. The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning when the office in Vermont House on Woodland Terrace was unoccupied, with no injuries reported.
Northumbria Police said they were alerted to the fire at 12.20am. The first floor office was extensively damaged, and graffiti reading “328 days blood on your hands” was seen on the building, although it is believed to have been there for up to a year. The arrested man remains in police custody on suspicion of criminal damage and arson.
A No 10 spokesperson condemned the attack, stating there is no place for such violence in society. A spokesperson for Hodgson, MP for Washington and Gateshead South since 2005, said she would “not be deterred” and would continue to support her constituents. Constituents have been advised to contact her via email as usual.
The fire also severely damaged the UK base of the charity Niemann-Pick UK (NP UK), which supports families affected by a rare genetic disease. The charity’s head of communications, John Lee Taggart, said they had been dealing with threats and graffiti for months, and described the damage as “really hard to recover” from for the small organisation.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service sent seven crews to tackle the blaze, which was contained quickly. Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath commended crews for their swift response. The incident was raised in a parliamentary debate by Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty, who emphasised the need for security in democratic processes.
