Police are desperately searching for the man who brutally assaulted a mother and her two young daughters with a deadly chemical in Clapham, leaving them with horrific burns and scars.
The suspect, identified as Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, has been on the run since the night of the attack, which took place on Lessar Avenue at 7:25 pm on Wednesday. He is believed to have fled the scene by taking the Tube from Tower Hill station at 9:33 pm, after changing his clothes and hiding his face.
The victim, a 31-year-old woman who knew Ezedi, remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital, while her daughters, aged three and eight, are recovering from their injuries, which are not as severe as initially feared.
The Metropolitan Police have offered a reward of up to £20,000 for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Ezedi, who is considered extremely dangerous and may be armed with more corrosive substances.
The police have also released new details about the nature of the attack, which involved a “very strong concentrated corrosive substance, either liquid sodium hydroxide or liquid sodium carbonate”, according to Cdr Jon Savell. He said that the substance was similar to the ones found in containers seized from Ezedi’s address in Newcastle, where he lived before travelling to London on the day of the attack.
The police have appealed to the public to help them locate Ezedi, who was captured on CCTV at various locations in London, including a Tesco shop in Caledonian Road, Islington, at 8:38 pm, and King’s Cross Underground station at 9:00 pm, where he boarded a southbound Victoria line train. He was last seen at Victoria station at 9:10 pm, where he switched to an eastbound District line train.
The police have also released an image of Ezedi, showing his face with severe injuries on the right side, possibly caused by the chemical he used in the attack.
Anyone who sees Ezedi or knows his whereabouts is urged to call 999 immediately, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
