THE CLAIM
In a “Batshit Bonkers Britain” video, Katie Hopkins discusses the fire at St Andrew’s Church and suggests that Islamist extremists were responsible.
Hopkins says:
“Bless the church. Another one burns down, St. Andrew’s Church this time.”
She then says:
“How many more churches have to burn down while we pretend it’s arson without acknowledging it’s actually the Mujahideen at work?”
Hopkins also invokes the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris:
“Notre-Dame didn’t burn down of its own accord either.”
These are serious allegations.
So what does the evidence actually show?
WATCH THE ORIGINAL VIDEO
Katie Hopkins’ original video can be watched here:
WHAT HAPPENED AT ST ANDREW’S?
St Andrew’s Church in Jarrom Street, Leicester, was badly damaged by a major fire during the night of 28–29 July 2026.
Around 60 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze and the church roof was severely damaged.
Fortunately, there were no casualties.
The fire was investigated by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
Its conclusion is particularly important when assessing Hopkins’ allegation.
WAS IT AN ISLAMIST ATTACK?
There is no evidence presented by the fire investigators that it was.
In fact, their conclusion points in the opposite direction.
Following its investigation, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said:
“the most probable cause of the incident is accidental.”
Investigators established that the fire began on the ground floor before spreading to the roof.
They also reported that:
“The building was secure at the time, with no sign of forced entry.”
That is markedly different from Hopkins’ suggestion that “Mujahideen” were responsible.
No evidence has been produced connecting Islamist extremists, Muslims or “Mujahideen” with the fire.
THE CHURCH ITSELF WARNED AGAINST SPECULATION
There is another important piece of context.
Immediately after the fire, before its cause had been established, the Diocese of Leicester specifically asked people not to speculate.
Its statement said:
“At this stage, we are awaiting further information from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and would ask people not to speculate about the cause of the fire until the facts are known.”
Those facts subsequently arrived.
The fire service concluded that the most probable cause was accidental.
WHAT ABOUT NOTRE-DAME?
Hopkins then says:
“Notre-Dame didn’t burn down of its own accord either.”
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris suffered its devastating fire on 15 April 2019.
The precise ignition source was not conclusively established.
However, that uncertainty is not evidence of arson.
Following an extensive preliminary investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office said that there was no evidence indicating that the fire had a criminal origin.
Possible accidental explanations investigated included an electrical malfunction and a smouldering cigarette.
Investigators examined more than 1,200 clues and interviewed around 100 people.
They did not establish that the cathedral had deliberately been set on fire.
There is therefore no evidential basis for using Notre-Dame as support for a claim that Islamist extremists were responsible for the St Andrew’s fire.
UNKNOWN DOES NOT MEAN DELIBERATE
This distinction matters.
Sometimes investigators cannot establish the precise cause of a fire.
That does not mean the fire was deliberately started.
And it certainly does not establish who started it.
For Notre-Dame, investigators did not establish the precise accidental mechanism but found no evidence of criminal origin.
For St Andrew’s, investigators went further: they concluded that the most probable cause was accidental.
Neither investigation provides evidence supporting an allegation involving “Mujahideen”.
CONCLUSION
A historic church really did suffer a devastating fire.
But Katie Hopkins goes considerably further than reporting that fact.
She suggests that people are refusing to acknowledge that “Mujahideen” are responsible for churches burning and immediately invokes the Notre-Dame fire.
The available evidence does not support that allegation.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service concluded that the most probable cause of the St Andrew’s fire was accidental. The building was secure and investigators found no sign of forced entry.
The investigation into Notre-Dame similarly found no evidence that the 2019 fire was of criminal origin, although its precise ignition source was not conclusively determined.
There is therefore no evidence identified by either investigation supporting Hopkins’ implication that Islamist extremists were responsible for these fires.
VERDICT: UNSUPPORTED — AND CONTRADICTED BY THE ST ANDREW’S FIRE INVESTIGATION
SOURCES
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service findings, reported by ITV News Central — St Andrew’s Church fire, 29 July 2026
Diocese of Leicester — Fire at St Andrew’s Church Jarrom Street, 29 July 2026
Paris prosecutor’s investigation into the Notre-Dame fire, reported by Sky News
ORIGINAL VIDEO
Katie Hopkins — Batshit Bonkers Britain
Batshit Bonkers Katie Hopkins 