Greenwich challenges arson claims with new fire data
Iain Hoey
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Council and fire brigade say prison incidents inflate arson figures
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Enforcement at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, has responded to a previously published article on arson trends in London reported by Legal Expert.
In her letter, Cllr Taggart-Ryan said she and her colleagues in the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade were “greatly surprised” by the suggestion that Greenwich was experiencing the sharpest rise in arson offences.
The councillor stated that further investigation had shown that most deliberate fires in the borough were located inside prison facilities and not in the wider community.
New data shows arson fires linked to prison locations
According to figures shared by the council, the majority of recorded deliberate fires in Greenwich between 16 May 2024 and 15 May 2025 occurred within the borough’s three prison facilities: HMP Belmarsh, HMP Thameside and HMYOI ISIS.
Cllr Taggart-Ryan wrote: “Most deliberate fires occur in our prisons. Royal Borough of Greenwich and within that West Thamesmead ward hosts three prison facilities.”
The council noted that these incidents, while appearing in Metropolitan Police arson data, fall under the responsibility of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), and are handled separately from incidents in public spaces.
The data review also identified other factors contributing to statistical inflation, including one Plumstead HMO incident being recorded four times due to the number of separate households affected.
Comparative figures show minor variation year-on-year
The fire data shared by the council showed a 6.6% rise in total deliberate fires over the most recent 12-month period, with 178 fires recorded between May 2024 and May 2025, compared to 167 during the same period the previous year.
In the three-year comparison covering 2022 to 2025, figures were nearly flat, with a 0.4% decline across the wider London area.
Cllr Taggart-Ryan stated: “Whilst there has been a slight increase, it isn’t significant.”
The council added that Greenwich may have appeared as an outlier due to the combined effect of prison-based incidents and data duplication in a small number of community events.
Council and fire brigade focus on prevention work
The Royal Borough of Greenwich highlighted recent improvements in the community, specifically a reduction in loose refuse fires.
The council credited the visual audit strategy run jointly by Greenwich and the London Fire Brigade, which identifies addresses at risk of uninsured property fires.
According to Cllr Taggart-Ryan: “The police are conducting drive-bys to show a presence in the area in the hope that it will deter unwanted behaviour.”
She added that this work, alongside localised engagement and response efforts, may be contributing to lower fire risk in community settings.
Greenwich challenges arson claims with new fire data: Summary
Royal Borough of Greenwich Council responded to reports of a sharp rise in arson by examining local fire records.
The council stated that most recorded deliberate fires were located within prison facilities.
Three prisons are located within Greenwich: HMP Belmarsh, HMP Thameside and HMYOI ISIS.
The council said these incidents are handled by the prison service and not community-based responders.
A data review also found one HMO incident recorded multiple times due to household-level reporting.
The council reported a 6.6% rise in fires between May 2024 and May 2025, with 178 incidents recorded.
The previous year recorded 167 deliberate fires in the same area.
Wider three-year comparisons show a 0.4% decline in deliberate fires across London.
Greenwich Council said the increase was minor and not outside expected variation.
A reduction in loose refuse fires in Greenwich was also reported.
The council said this may be due to joint prevention work with the London Fire Brigade.
Drive-by police patrols have also been used as a deterrent.
The council believes prison fires and duplicate data skew borough-level arson statistics.
Other boroughs with high arson rates, such as Wandsworth and Feltham, also contain prisons.