Armed officers arrest a man in Golders Green 'carrying a prohibited firearm'

Published: 21:47, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 21:47, 21 May 2026 A man was arrested by armed officers in Golders Green today on suspicion of possessing a prohibited firearm.  Police were seen handcuffing a man on Finchley Road at around 2pm.  A backpack, a full-face camouflage helmet, and a device that appeared to be a black plastic gun lay nearby at the scene, where police had been called after reports that a man had been seen with a firearm in public. The Metropolitan Police said a 37-year-old man remains in custody following the arrest.  Police said they had concluded that a suspect item recovered from the scene was an air weapon.  Air weapons, such as BB guns or pellet guns, shoot projectiles using compressed air or gas.  The Met Police said in a statement: 'We are aware of the concern this incident is likely to cause, given the appalling events in the local area in recent weeks. 'Firearms officers rapidly attended the scene and officers are now working to establish the full circumstances around the incident.  Armed police were seen handcuffing a man today in Finchley Road, Golders Green, North London A backpack, full-face camouflage mask and a black device which looked like a plastic gun lay nearby at the scene  'We remain in close contact with the local community to offer reassurance alongside our additional patrols in the area.' The arrest today follows a spate of recent anti-Semitic attacks in north London.  On Monday, a Jewish man who was visiting London was attacked by a gang of masked men 'after speaking Hebrew on his mobile phone'.  Shalev, who was visiting the UK from Israel, was standing on the porch of his Airbnb apartment in Golders Green, North London, to make a phone call at 2am on Monday.  Five masked men walking nearby overheard the 22-year-old and started chasing him before brutally assaulting him, tearing his clothes and throwing away his shoes.   In March, Jewish charity ambulances were torched overnight in Golders Green, causing explosions and about £1million of damage to the ambulances and medical equipment. Three men and a teenager have been charged with arson. On April 29, two Jewish men were stabbed as they walked in Golders Green. Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of attempted murder and will stand trial in March next year. Suleiman is also accused of attempting to murder a Muslim friend hours before the Golders Green incident.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.