Russia has denied any link to a spate of arson attacks on properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer in London.

Two homes and a car previously owned by the Prime Minister were torched earlier this month, prompting Scotland Yard's counter-terror unit to head up inquires.

Three Ukrainian-born men - Petro Pochynok, 34, Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 26 - were charged with arson or conspiring to commit arson.

The charges relate to a vehicle fire in Kentish Town on May 8, a fire at the entrance of a property in Islington on May 11 and a fire at a residential address in Kentish Town in the early hours of May 12.

However, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any involvement in the alleged arsons, calling the accusations "false, unsubstantiated" and "ridiculous".

He said: "You know, London is inclined to suspect Russia of involvement in all the bad things that happen in Britain. As a rule, all these suspicions are false, unsubstantiated and often ridiculous."

Moscow also claimed that London accuses Russia of being behind all bad things that happen in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police had suggested that the three suspects could be part of a wider community but stopped short of pointing to any direct involvement with Russia.

The three suspects - who have links to male modelling and fashion - deny the charges brought against them.

Despite Scotland Yard refusing to provide running commentary on the case, Metropolitan Police sources revealed officers are "keeping an open mind" about the three attacks.

A Government source also cautioned that investigators have not "connected the dots" that conclusively link these attacks back to Moscow.

However, the source added that officials are also probing whether other elements in Russia, from militia organisations to criminal gangs, may have recruited the trio.

All three men have been remanded in custody ahead of appearing at the Old Bailey on June 6.

However, extending the inquiry to include a potential link with Russia comes after a spate of incidents connected with Moscow.

Putin's agents were linked to the fatal poisoning of defected Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.

Ex-Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia were also targeted with the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2018.