Abdul Ezedi: Clapham chemical attack suspect may have 'gone into' River Thames, Met Police says

Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi may have died after 'going into' the River Thames, said the Metropolitan Police. The force said this is their main working hypothesis as their manhunt enters the 10th day.

However, the police said, his body has yet to be found. In a briefing at Scotland Yard, Commander Jon Savell said: “We have spent the last 24 hours meticulously following the CCTV, and it’s our main working hypothesis that he’s now gone into the water.

“We have looked at all of the available cameras and angles, and with the assistance of Transport for London and CCTV from buses that were travelling over the bridge at the relevant time and there is no sighting of him coming off the bridge.”

He added: “At this time of year, the Thames is very fast flowing, very wide and full of lots of snags. It is quite likely that if he has gone in the water, he won’t appear for maybe up to a month and it’s not beyond possibility that he may never actually surface.”

Officers were called to Lessar Avenue in Lambeth at about 7.25pm on Wednesday (January 31) after the corrosive substance was thrown at a group of people. Those injured by the substance include four adults, two children and three police officers.

Ezadi since sustained a "significant injury to the right side of his face", and was last seen in the area of Caledonian Road in north London after attempting to make off in a car. However, he collided with a stationary vehicle, and then made off on foot, in the direction of Clapham Common.

It was later revealed that the woman injured when she was doused with a corrosive liquid in south London had been in a relationship with her suspected attacker, and this may have been a motive for the attack, police said.

Ezedi's last known movements were made public on Thursday (February 8), prior to being captured on CCTV crossing Chelsea Bridge shortly before midnight on the evening of the horrific attack, in which the 31-year-old woman’s daughters, aged three and eight, were also hurt.

At 9.33pm on January 31, he was spotted exiting Tower Hill Underground station - which is served by the District and Circle London Tube lines. Exactly 21 minutes later, he was captured on CCTV walking along Upper Thames Street, while 10 minutes after that he began heading towards Victoria Embankment.

At 10.36pm, Ezedi walked across Westminster Bridge, before walking along Albert Embankment, crossing Vauxhall Bridge, then turning onto Grosvenor Road at 11.03pm.

The most recent sighting of him remains an image captured on CCTV at about 11.27pm, crossing Chelsea Bridge.

Police say they remain in contact with the family of the injured woman, who is still unable to speak as she recovers in hospital.