A 28-year-old man has been charged with arson after a major fire devastated the constituency office of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson in Concord, Washington, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Joshua Oliver has been charged following a police investigation into the overnight blaze this week. He is due to appear at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on September 13.
Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service said prosecutors had concluded there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it was in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. He said the CPS had worked closely with Northumbria Police during the investigation.
A significant police and fire brigade presence was reported at the site while emergency services dealt with the incident. Aerial images published after the fire showed extensive damage to the office, with the roof described as almost entirely destroyed.
Initial media reports suggested a message reading "328 days blood on your hands" had been scrawled on the building during the attack. Police later said that the graffiti had been sprayed on the premises many months before the blaze.
A spokesperson for Ms Hodgson said an incident had occurred overnight and that the office would not comment while the police investigation was ongoing. The spokesperson added there was "no place for this kind of violence in our society" and said Ms Hodgson would not be deterred, continuing to support constituents in Washington and Gateshead South. Constituents were asked to contact the MP’s office by email in the usual way while inquiries continue.
The CPS charge marks the next step in the criminal process following the investigation by Northumbria Police. Further procedural hearings will take place at the magistrates’ court as the case moves toward possible trial.