According to authorities, radical right-wing terrorist ideology served as the motive for the firebombing of an immigration processing center.
Andrew Leak, 66, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, threw up to three incendiary devices at the site in Dover, Kent, on Sunday. He is believed to have later taken his own life.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said evidence showed it “was motivated by a terrorist ideology”.
“After analyzing the evidence received so far, while there are significant indicators that mental health was likely a part, I am confident that the suspect’s actions were principally inspired by an extreme ideology,” said Tim Jacques, senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing.
“This fulfils the definition of a terrorist event”
CPTSE stated that the leak was unknown to counter-terrorism officers before to the incident. He was also unknown to the security services, according to reports.
An presumably deleted Facebook account under Leak’s name included anti-Muslim.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, tweeted: “This attack was motivated by far-right extremism, which is extremely dangerous.
“I’m still worried that it took so long for counter-terrorism officers to take the lead on this matter, which I requested the Home Secretary to pursue on Monday.”
The Home Office has not responded.
Two members of the center’s employees were treated for minor injuries after police were summoned at 11:22. on Sunday.
Following the assault, 700 refugees were transported from Dover to the Manston processing center, where overcrowding had previously been heavily criticized by government inspectors.
According to a police statement issued on Saturday, “a number of key witnesses have been talked to throughout the course of the investigation, and a number of objects of interest, including digital media devices, have been recovered.”
“Evidence from evaluating these objects implies that the attack was motivated by an extreme right-wing ideology.”
There was no evidence that Leak was collaborating with anybody else, and there was no larger threat to the public, according to police.
They stated that the investigation was still underway, with work being done on behalf of the coroner.
On Tuesday, an inquest into Leak’s death is due to begin at County Hall in Maidstone.
