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

The search 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 near 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 essential speculation is that he went into the water.

While a has not been discovered, detectives say his dying is the “most probable outcome”. He was seen pacing up and down the bridge – the final recognized sighting of him – earlier than leaning over the railings.

There has been 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 transferring off once more. Despite the poor visibility brought on by the climate, a crowd gathered to look at 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 have been attacked with a corrosive substance in Clapham, south London.

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

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

The Metropolitan Police stated Clapham alkali attack 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 movements from the Tower Hill area where he alighted the underground and he’s walked over four miles to the location of Chelsea Bridge.

“He’s walked with purpose, but has essentially hugged the Thames River line.

“When he has got to the area of Chelsea Bridge, his behaviour visibly appears to change in so much as he walked up and down the bridge – he pauses in the midpoint of the bridge, halfway down the bridge.

“Then he walked to and from the side of the bridge and can be seen to sort of lean over the railings before there is a loss of sight.”

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

The suspect in a chemical attack that left a mom combating for life seems to have walked proper previous New Scotland Yard hours later.

Based on CCTV actions launched by the drive, 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 serious manhunt remains to be underway for the fugitive, with the police now looking out within the River Thames after the final CCTV footage of him exhibits 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 attack might need been motivated by a breakdown of their relationship.

He isn’t the daddy of the youngsters within the attack and was within the capital visiting the mom, police imagine. Friends of the sufferer described her as a “devoted and loving mother”.

Close mates of the sufferer, who’ve launched a fundraiser for the household, stated: “Our friend is first and foremost a devoted and loving mother.

“Her children are her life. She is generous to a fault and a wonderful cook and host. All she has ever wanted is a safe home for her and her beautiful, kind little girls.”

Friends of the lady left severely injured after being doused with a corrosive substance in south London have described her as “a devoted and loving mother”.

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

She remains to be too ailing to talk to police and her accidents have 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 friend is first and foremost a devoted and loving mother.

“Her children are her life. She is generous to a fault and a wonderful cook and host. All she has ever wanted is a safe home for her and her beautiful, kind little girls.”

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 Home Office 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 critical sufficient to satisfy the brink 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 committed” to his new faith.

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

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

In a briefing at Scotland Yard, Commander Jon Savell stated: “When he gets to Chelsea Bridge, his demeanour appears to change.

“I would describe him previously as walking sort of purposefully, as if he knew where he was going and he was walking at a reasonable pace.

“As he gets onto Chelsea Bridge, he does cross the bridge more than once.

“And then when he gets back to the centre, he appears to be moving from the railings back to the pavement and looking over the edge of the railings.

“So a distinct change in how he’s been moving about.”

Around 500 folks 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 remain immensely grateful to all those who called – the public support for our investigation has been tremendous and I want to thank all those who helped.

“Our thoughts are also with the 31-year-old woman who remains in a critical but stable condition sedated in hospital on her long road to recovery.”