Police officers secure the cordon around Edmonton Green police station. Getty Images
Police officers secure the cordon around Edmonton Green police station. Getty Images
Police officers secure the cordon around Edmonton Green police station. Getty Images
Police officers secure the cordon around Edmonton Green police station. Getty Images

Europe

Man tries to set car on fire after crashing into UK police station

Vehicle partly broke through the police station's doors

Simon Rushton
Simon Rushton

November 12, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

A man crashed his car into a London police station, then tried to set the vehicle on fire.

After the car hit the station doors, he splashed petrol on the road then set it alight.

The liquid caught fire but it did not spread to the car, which had partly broken through the police station doors.

Police in Edmonton Green, North London, confirmed that a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of arson and other offences.

Europe has been hit with a spate of terrorist attacks, notably in France and Austria, and this month the UK raised its terrorism threat level to severe, meaning an attack is considered to be highly likely.

There were no reported injuries but fire crews were called to the station, which was evacuated and cordoned off by police on Wednesday evening.

Witnesses said they feared the driver was going to set fire to his vehicle after it hit the station.

"He was insisting on trying to get inside but the glass door wouldn't break any more so he couldn't get any closer," Serife Mazlum said.

"Then he casually got out of the car with a tank of petrol. He poured it down from the car into the middle of the road and then he just set it on fire."

Ms Mazlum said a man forced the driver to the ground before police arrived.

Peter Allimadi, 30, from Edmonton, told the BBC: "I came out of the Lidl to see what the commotion was about – police screaming instructions to citizens to back away, some scared shoppers, commuters and parents running from the scene."

Police said that the car was still at the scene being examined by specialist officers.

Kate Osamor, the local MP, said on Twitter: "A major incident has been declared at Edmonton Green police station. Please stay safe if you're in the area."

London's Metropolitan Police said the incident was a local investigation being supported by counter-terrorism police.

This gallery shows stills from the aftermath of the incident.

  • Police officers stand at the entrance, as debris is seen where the front of a car crashed into the Edmonton Police Station, in Enfield north London. Reuters
    Police officers stand at the entrance, as debris is seen where the front of a car crashed into the Edmonton Police Station, in Enfield north London. Reuters
  • A forensics personnel works the scene. Reuters
    A forensics personnel works the scene. Reuters
  • Police in Edmonton Green, north London, confirmed that a man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of arson and other offences. Reuters
    Police in Edmonton Green, north London, confirmed that a man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of arson and other offences. Reuters
  • After the car hit the station doors, he splashed petrol on the road then set it alight. The liquid caught fire but it did not spread to the car, which had partly broken through the police station doors. Reuters
    After the car hit the station doors, he splashed petrol on the road then set it alight. The liquid caught fire but it did not spread to the car, which had partly broken through the police station doors. Reuters
  • A police car is seen after the incident at Edmonton Police station. Reuters
    A police car is seen after the incident at Edmonton Police station. Reuters
  • A person speaks with a police officer who stands guard at the scene. Reuters
    A person speaks with a police officer who stands guard at the scene. Reuters
  • Debris can be seen from the front end of a car which crashed into the Edmonton Police Station. Reuters
    Debris can be seen from the front end of a car which crashed into the Edmonton Police Station. Reuters
  • A police officer looks at the scene. Reuters
    A police officer looks at the scene. Reuters
UAE currency

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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