Abdul Ezedi: Police appeal suspect in Clapham chemical attack to surrender as 'significant' evidence found

Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, the suspect at the centre of a Met police investigation following a chemical attack in London, has been told to hand himself in. Metropolitan Police Commander Jon Savell said the manhunt for the 35-year-old continues after “significant and important pieces of evidence” were recovered in searches carried out in east London and Newcastle, where police believe he was from, on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters outside Scotland Yard on Friday (February 2), Metropolitan Police Commander Jon Savell said: “In terms of our manhunt for Ezedi, we’ve got a large team of very experienced detectives leading the manhunt, using all the tactics that you would expect us to use, lots of officers out on the ground.

“We’re working very closely with colleagues from Transport for London, British Transport Police and our colleagues in Northumbria Police as well. Last night, five search warrants were executed – two in East London and three up in Newcastle. We’ve recovered some significant and important pieces of evidence which will help with our investigation.”

Mr Savell also made a direct appeal to Ezedi to surrender himself amid the injuries he has suffered. He said: “Abdul, you clearly have got some very significant injuries. We’ve seen the images. You need some medical help, so do the right thing and hand yourself in.”

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 has 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.

According to Mr Savell, Ezedi left Newcastle in the “very, very early hours” of Wednesday and travelled south to London. By around 6.30am, he was in the Tooting area.

He said there was a further sighting of his vehicle at about 4.30pm in Croydon and by about 7pm he was in Streatham. The “awful attack” took place at 7.25pm in Clapham. At 7.33pm he boarded a tube at Clapham South underground station.

By 8pm he was at King’s Cross tube station and by about 8.45pm he was captured on CCTV in Tesco on the Caledonian Road, pictured with a “fairly significant facial injury”.

He said there had been a “great response” from the public so far and, as a result, officers had established he got on a Victoria line tube at 9pm heading south. The force will publish more CCTV shortly, he added.

Mr Savell also said the mother injured in the attack is sedated and “very poorly” in hospital. He said: “The mother remains very poorly in hospital and she’s sedated at the moment. We expect that those injuries will be life-changing.”

He said the two children who were with her do not have injuries as seriously as initially thought. He said: “They are not likely to be life-changing (injuries). They remain with mum in the care of the NHS and we, of course, wish them the very best recovery that we can.”

He then appealed to the public for help in identifying his whereabouts. Mr Savell said: “We would very much like all of the public’s help in identifying where he’s travelled. If you’ve seen Ezedi, or you know where he is, then I urge you please to contact our hotline which is 02071752784.

“Or of course you can phone Crimestoppers. If you think you’ve seen Ezedi now, do not approach him, ring 999 and we will be there urgently. We need the public’s help to trace Ezedi. It’s really important.”