The Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the Heathrow substation fire – which wreaked havoc at Europe’s busiest airport last Friday – has found that there was no criminality involved.
Partnered with the Counter Terrorism Command, the force had been working to pinpoint the cause of the blaze in Hayes on March 21 but had found “no evidence to suggest that the incident was suspicious in nature”.
As a result, Scotland Yard announced that its officers were no longer treating the substation fire as a “potentially criminal matter” and added that it will provide support for other colleagues at the National Grid, London Fire Brigade and the SSEN.
The force added that “any relevant new information or evidence” would be assessed and “considered as appropriate”.
The Met said that their counter-terrorism unit would lead a probe into the fire’s causes
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On the same day as the blaze raged two miles away from Heathrow Airport, the Met Police said that their counter-terrorism unit would lead a probe into the fire’s causes.
“Following enquiries to date, officers have found no evidence to suggest that the incident was suspicious in nature,” the Metropolitan Police’s statement said.
Authorities have come under fire after 200,000 individuals were left stranded across the world as firefighters fought the blaze for hours.
One of those facing the heat is airport chief Thomas Woldbye – who went to bed at 12.30am – and left the chief operating officer to make key decisions as the substation continued to burn.
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Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that she would “struggle to sleep” if she had been in Woldbye’s position.
Since Friday, Sir Keir Starmer’s Government and Heathrow officials commissioned reviews into the incident.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband ordered an investigation by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) into the UK’s “energy resilience” as he blasted Heathrow’s international meltdown on his morning media round on Friday.
Miliband said that the review would incorporate recommendations on “any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure”.
It had been previously reported that Heathrow and the Government were warned 10 years ago that the major travel hub was too reliant on too few power sources.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband ordered an investigation by the National Energy System Operator
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The former Labour leader said: “The loss of power to the Heathrow area has caused major disruption to thousands of people and many businesses.
“We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned.
“That is why I have today commissioned the National Energy System Operator to carry out an investigation into this specific incident and to understand any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure, both now and in the future.
“The Government is determined to do everything it can to prevent a repeat of what happened at Heathrow.”
