Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with an arson attack in Maida Vale.
Officers were called shortly before 1:50am on Saturday, July 18, after a resident of Lydford Road, Maida Hill, reported a disturbance outside his front door. Officers attended but no one was located nearby.
Later that morning, at around 4:50am, police and the London Fire Brigade were called to reports of a fire at the same address. A man was inside the property at the time but did not sustain any injuries.
Detectives carried out urgent enquiries, including reviewing CCTV, speaking to witnesses and neighbours, and forensic examinations. Investigating officers are now in a position to release an image of a man they would like to speak to as part of their enquiries.
Detective Constable Lucy Kirkby, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a deeply concerning incident which could have had far more serious consequences.”
“Since the launch of the investigation, our team has worked relentlessly to examine all available evidence and identify those responsible. I am now appealing directly to the public for their support.”
“Do you know or recognise the man in the picture? Were you in the Lydford Road, Walterton Road or Fernhead Road area during the early hours of Saturday, July 18? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously, or do you have any CCTV, doorbell, dashcam or other footage that could assist our investigation?”
“If you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference CAD1532/18JUL26. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
How an arson investigation unfolds
Arson investigations typically run on several tracks at once. Fire investigators and forensic teams examine the scene for signs of how the fire started — burn patterns, accelerant residues and the point of origin can all help establish whether a fire was set deliberately. Meanwhile, detectives build a picture of the hours before and after the incident, working outward from the address.
CCTV trawls are central to that work. Officers gather footage from council cameras and transport networks — including bus cameras, which cover long stretches of London’s streets through the night — as well as asking residents for doorbell and dashcam recordings. In the early hours of a Saturday, when fewer witnesses are about, electronic evidence often carries the investigation.
Witness canvassing follows: door-to-door calls, conversations with neighbours, and appeals for anyone who saw something out of place. Detectives stress that even small details — a stranger in the street, a vehicle parked where it should not have been — can unlock a case.
Why early-hours fires are treated so gravely
Attacks in the small hours are taken particularly seriously by investigators because of the danger to sleeping occupants. A fire that breaks out while people are asleep can take hold before anyone is aware, and the smoke — more than the flames — is what makes escape difficult.
There is also the risk to neighbouring homes. Fires in terraced streets and converted houses can spread through party walls, roof spaces and timber structures, turning a targeted attack into a threat to an entire street. Fire crews attending the Maida Vale incident were dealing with a property where someone was inside, a scenario that can escalate in minutes.
The law reflects that gravity. As general legal context — not a comment on this case — arson with intent to endanger life carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in the UK, a measure of how seriously the courts view fires set while people are present.
London Streets has been covering the Deepak Sandhu conviction and the Tube probe today.
