Man charged with arson after major fire at MP Sharon Hodgson's constituency office

A man has been charged after a major fire at an MP's constituency office.

Joshua Oliver, 28, has been charged with arson after a blaze at the office of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, at Vermont House in Washington, Tyne and Wear.

The fire also wrecked a charity base and an NHS mental health service for veterans.

Oliver will appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Northumbria Police previously said it was "alerted to a fire at a premises on Woodland Terrace in the Washington area" shortly after 12.20am on Thursday.

"Emergency services attended and no one is reported to have been injured in the incident," it added.

Drone footage from the scene shows extensive damage to the building.

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A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

"We have worked closely with Northumbria Police as they carried out their investigation."

(c) Sky News 2025: Man charged with arson after major fire at MP Sharon Hodgson's constituency office