A statement from Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council.
Last night (Monday 20 May 2024), Havering Town Hall in Romford was hit with an arson attack that led to a fire in one of the ground floor offices and damage to the property.
Thankfully nobody was hurt, and due to the speedy response from the London Fire Brigade, the fire was extinguished quickly and the damage was minimised.
We would also like to reassure the public that no data has been lost or stolen.
The Metropolitan Police already have a man in custody, and we will cooperate in any way we can to help with the investigation.
This comes after a spate of incidents including windows being smashed at the Town Hall, Council vehicles being vandalised, and offensive graffiti sprayed in a nearby underpass.
Although we don’t know if any of these incidents are connected, we are concerned about the apparent rise in vandalism and antisocial behaviour in Romford.
This selfish behaviour ultimately results in additional pressure on already stretched council budgets when picking up the repairs and cleaning bill.
We have informed staff that, as a result of the incident, some parts of the Town Hall are off-limits for the moment.