A Conservative MP has said the alleged arson attack could be linked to his views on the Middle East.

A police officer guards the office of Tory MP Mike Freer after a fire in the building. Photo: Dinendra Haria/LNP

A Conservative MP said he believed the suspected arson attack on his north London office may have been linked to his views on the Middle East.

Mike Freer received a phone call on Christmas Eve and said a fire had been set in a shed at the rear of the office, causing extensive damage to the building. There was no one in the office at the time, and police are treating the incident as suspected arson.

Mr Freer represents Finchley and Golders Green, a constituency with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country. The MP, who is not Jewish, said he was targeted because of his continued support for Israel.

Speaking to Sky News outside the damaged building, the 63-year-old said: “I hope it's someone , who has a grudge, or someone who has nothing better to do but start a fire.”

“But unfortunately, I have had too many incidents in the past where I have been attacked because of my views on the Middle East, but so have many of my constituents, so this is not an unknown incident in Golders Green.< /p>

“When something breaks out in the Middle East, the level of attacks in my area does increase, and unfortunately, this may be due to my views on the Middle East. I hope that's not the case. I hope this is a more routine arson, if such a thing exists.”

Mike Freer's fire damages office

Mr Freer stressed that the exact motive will not be known until the suspects are identified arrested, saying he would have to “let the police do their job.” He told the broadcaster he found the incident “disturbing” and “unnerving”, adding that much of his office was left “unusable” by the fire and it was “sad” to see the damage.

He is a member of the Conservative organization Friends of Israel and has been an outspoken supporter of the group for many years. In 2014, he resigned as a minister after voting against non-binding House of Commons motions to recognize the State of Palestine.

Following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 this year, he called on the government to begin repatriation flights. for Britons stuck in Israel.

Mr Freer told Sky News he had been targeted twice in the past by the radical Islamist group Muslims Against the Crusades, which is banned in Britain.

He said he had found “imitation Molotov cocktails” on his doorstep and notes on his car over the years, adding that graffiti was “quite common.”

Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “An investigation is currently underway following a shed fire at MP Mike Freer's constituency office in North Finchley. The cause of the fire is under investigation and further investigation will be carried out. There were no arrests.”