Clapham chemical attack – latest: Police launch Thames search for suspect Abdul Ezedi near Chelsea Bridge

The seek for Abdul Ezedi within the River Thames started this morning after police revealed yesterday that they imagine he might have fallen into the water and died.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that police boat searches had commenced at low tide on Saturday morning close to Chelsea Bridge and the encircling space of the river.

Ezedi, 35, was final seen on Chelsea Bridge simply earlier than 11:30pm on 31 January – 4 hours after a mom was attacked by a robust alkali in Clapham.

The Metropolitan Police say that after finding out CCTV and bus footage of the realm, no cameras captured him leaving, so their principal speculation is that he went into the water.

Whereas a has not been discovered, detectives say his demise is the “most possible end result”. He was seen pacing up and down the bridge – the final recognized sighting of him – earlier than leaning over the railings.

There was no replace from the Met Police this night regardless of officers finishing up a search of the River Thames earlier on Saturday.

A police boat circled between Vauxhall and Chelsea bridges, flashing lights and pausing beside a small ship earlier than shifting off once more. Regardless of the poor visibility attributable to the climate, a crowd gathered to observe the operation.

Detectives imagine Ezedi might have gone into the river after being seen on CCTV leaning over the railings of Chelsea Bridge in west London on the evening a lady and two younger women had been attacked with a corrosive substance in Clapham, south London.

The pressure stated on Friday its principal working speculation was the 35-year-old had “gone into” the Thames.

Nevertheless, police admit that Ezedi’s physique might by no means be discovered because of the pace of the present within the river.

The Metropolitan Police stated Clapham alkali assault suspect Abdul Ezedi was seen to “lean over the railings” of Chelsea Bridge earlier than CCTV sightings of him ceased.

In a briefing at Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Rick Sewart stated: “We’ve tracked Ezedi’s actions from the Tower Hill space the place he alighted the underground and he’s walked over 4 miles to the situation of Chelsea Bridge.

“He’s walked with objective, however has primarily hugged the Thames River line.

“When he has obtained to the realm of Chelsea Bridge, his behaviour visibly seems to alter in a lot as he walked up and down the bridge – he pauses within the midpoint of the bridge, midway down the bridge.

“Then he walked to and from the facet of the bridge and might be seen to kind of lean over the railings earlier than there’s a lack of sight.”

Mr Sewart added that this was per “him going into the water”.

The suspect in a chemical assault that left a mom preventing for all times seems to have walked proper previous New Scotland Yard hours later.

Based mostly on CCTV actions launched by the pressure, Abdul Ezedi walked beside the River Thames on a route that appears to have taken him inside yards of the Met’s headquarters on the Embankment in central London.

A significant manhunt continues to be underway for the fugitive, with the police now looking within the River Thames after the final CCTV footage of him reveals Ezedi pacing up and down Chelsea Bridge at 11:30pm.

Police confirmed Ezedi was in a relationship with the 31-year-old sufferer and speculated the assault may need been motivated by a breakdown of their relationship.

He’s not the daddy of the youngsters within the assault and was within the capital visiting the mom, police imagine. Associates of the sufferer described her as a “devoted and loving mom”.

Shut mates of the sufferer, who’ve launched a fundraiser for the household, stated: “Our buddy is firstly a faithful and loving mom.

“Her youngsters are her life. She is beneficiant to a fault and an exquisite prepare dinner and host. All she has ever needed is a secure residence for her and her lovely, form little women.”

Associates of the girl left severely injured after being doused with a corrosive substance in south London have described her as “a faithful and loving mom”.

The 31-year-old lady might lose the sight in her proper eye and stays sedated in hospital after her former companion Abdul Ezedi is suspected of pouring a robust alkali on the girl final Wednesday.

She continues to be too ailing to talk to police and her accidents had been so extreme the incident is being handled as tried homicide.

In an announcement launched to the PA information company, shut mates of the sufferer, who’ve launched a fundraiser for the household, stated: “Our buddy is firstly a faithful and loving mom.

“Her youngsters are her life. She is beneficiant to a fault and an exquisite prepare dinner and host. All she has ever needed is a secure residence for her and her lovely, form little women.”

Ezedi got here to the UK hidden in a lorry in 2016, and was turned down twice for asylum earlier than efficiently interesting in opposition to the Residence Workplace rejection by claiming he had transformed to Christianity.

He was convicted of two sexual offences in 2018 however was allowed to remain within the UK as a result of his crimes weren’t severe sufficient to fulfill the edge for deportation.

A tribunal decide is known to have dominated in favour of his asylum declare in 2020 after a retired Baptist church minister confirmed he had transformed to Christianity, reportedly describing Ezedi as “wholly dedicated” to his new faith.

On Wednesday, a Baptist church in Tyne and Put on confirmed it was conscious of a “connection” it had with the suspect.

The Metropolitan Police stated Clapham chemical assault suspect Abdul Ezedi’s “manner” appeared to alter as he walked over Chelsea Bridge.

In a briefing at Scotland Yard, Commander Jon Savell stated: “When he will get to Chelsea Bridge, his manner seems to alter.

“I’d describe him beforehand as strolling kind of purposefully, as if he knew the place he was going and he was strolling at an inexpensive tempo.

“As he will get onto Chelsea Bridge, he does cross the bridge greater than as soon as.

“After which when he will get again to the centre, he seems to be shifting from the railings again to the pavement and searching over the sting of the railings.

“So a definite change in how he’s been shifting about.”

Round 500 individuals throughout the UK have known as police with details about Abdul Ezedi and his attainable whereabouts for the reason that incident occurred, detectives have revealed.

Commander Jon Savell stated at a information briefing on Friday: “We stay immensely grateful to all those that known as – the general public help for our investigation has been large and I need to thank all those that helped.

“Our ideas are additionally with the 31-year-old lady who stays in a vital however steady situation sedated in hospital on her lengthy highway to restoration.”