Families evacuated after ‘threat to burn down’ tower block in Barking
Emergency services cordoning off part of Barking's Gascoigne estate after receiving a threat to set a tower block alight. Picture: Charlie Wilding - Credit: Charlie Wilding
More than 100 families were evacuated from a tower block of flats in Barking during the night when police said a man threatened to burn down the building.
The families were moved out of the 12-storey Earlsdown House in Wheelers Cross, on Barking's Gascoigne housing estate, at 8.40pm following threats to set it alight.
The man barricaded himself inside a flat and neighbours were evacuated as a precaution, police said.
Officers forced their way into a flat soon after 1am today and detained ther occupant, Scotland Yard confirmed.
The Met's Terrotiorial Support Group got into the flat after striking the door seven times, according to one neighbour.
You may also want to watch:
A man was arrested at the flat on suspicion of criminal damage and intent to endanger life and has been taken to hospital as a precaution concerning "a pre-existing medical condition".
Emergency crews from Barking fire station were at the scene on standby as King Edward Road and the streets around Earlsdown House were cordoned off.
Most Read
- 1 Street food market coming to Barking as lockdown continues to ease
- 2 Three arrests after cannabis raids in Dagenham and South Woodford
- 3 Barking and Dagenham pays tribute to Prince Philip
- 4 Pictures: Remembering Prince Philip's visits to east London
- 5 Rainbow lights 'signal hope' as part of Barking and Dagenham festival
- 6 Second World War bomb pulled from River Thames in Barking
- 7 Jailed: Burglar who drove on wrong side of road trying to flee police
- 8 Council reveals new debt collection service to cut need for enforcement
- 9 Barking MP receives 'disgusting' Holocaust email over Covid-19 vaccine passports
- 10 Pedestrian crossing improvements after campaign by Dagenham pupils
"Our role was a precaution on standby because of threat of fire," London Fire Brigade watch manager Daren Horrigan told the Barking and Dagenham Post.
"We were there to assist police who organised the evacuations from the building, to be on hand if the worst came to the worst and there was a fire."
Council officials arrived to arrange overnight emergency accommodation for the families being evacuated. But the families were later allowed back to their homes following the man's arrest.