Clapham chemical attack – latest: 2 bodies found while searching for suspect Ezzedi as police return to River Thames

Two bodies were discovered in the Thames yesterday as the search for Abdul Ezedi continued in the water.

One body was found near HMS Belfast just after 10am, and the other body was found about 30 minutes later by the river at Limehouse.

Officers said neither discovery was linked to Ezzedi and the force was working to confirm the identity of the body and notify next of kin.

Both deaths are being treated as unexpected.

Police are searching the Thames to find the body of a man suspected of carrying out a chemical attack on a mother in Clapham.

A search boat was spotted between Vauxhall and Chelsea Bridges on Saturday morning, a day after the Metropolitan Police said Abdul Ezedi may have jumped or fallen from Chelsea Bridge.

Four hours after the Jan. 31 attack, he was last seen on surveillance cameras climbing up and down the bridge and leaning over the railing.

There were reports yesterday that two separate bodies had been found in the river, but neither is believed to be related to Ezzedi, and the search is expected to continue today.

There was no update from the Metropolitan Police this evening, despite officers searching the Thames in the early hours of Saturday.

The police boat circled between Vauxhall and Chelsea Bridges, stopped next to the small boat with its lights flashing, and then set off again. Despite poor visibility due to the weather, a large crowd gathered to watch the surgery.

Investigators said Ezzedi was seen on CCTV leaning against the railing of Chelsea Bridge in west London before entering the river on the night a woman and two girls were attacked with a corrosive substance in Clapham, south London. I think there is a possibility.

The force said on Friday that its main working hypothesis was that a 35-year-old man had “entered” the Thames.

However, police acknowledged that Ezzedi’s body may not be found due to the speed of the river’s current.

The Metropolitan Police said Clapham Alkali attack suspect Abdul Ezzedi was seen “leaning against the railing” of Chelsea Bridge before CCTV surveillance stopped.

Speaking at a press conference at Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Rick Swart said: “We tracked Ezzedi’s movements as he walked more than four miles from the Tower Hill area, where he got off the tube, to his location on Chelsea Bridge.

“He has walked with a purpose, but essentially he has walked along the Thames.

“When he arrived at the Chelsea Bridge area, his behavior seemed to noticeably change as he went up and down the bridge. He stopped at the halfway point of the bridge, or halfway up the bridge.

“He was then seen pacing back and forth at the base of the bridge and appeared to lean against the railing before losing his vision.”

Mr Swart added that this was consistent with “he going into the water”.

The suspect in the chemical attack that left a mother fighting for her life appears to be walking just outside New Scotland Yard just hours later.

CCTV footage released by the force showed Abdul Ezzedi walking along the River Thames, a route that appeared to take him within yards of the Met’s headquarters on the Embankment in central London.

A major search for the fugitive remains ongoing, with police currently searching the River Thames after last CCTV footage showed Ezzedi walking up and down Chelsea Bridge at 11.30pm. There is.

Police confirmed that Ezzedi was in a relationship with the 31-year-old victim and speculated that the attack may have been motivated by a breakdown in their relationship.

Police say he is not the father of the children involved, but is believed to have been in the capital visiting their mother. Friends of her victim described her as a “devoted and loving mother”.

Close friends of the victim, who have started a fundraising campaign for the family, said: “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 wanted was a safe home for herself and her beautiful, kind girls. ”

Friends of a woman who was seriously injured after being doused with a corrosive substance in south London have described her as a “devoted and loving mother”.

Last Wednesday, the 31-year-old woman was suspected of pouring strong alkali on her, causing her to lose vision in her right eye and remains under sedation in hospital. There is.

Because she was still too unwell to speak to police and her injuries were so severe, the incident is being treated as attempted murder.

Close friends of the victim, who have started a fundraising campaign for his family, said in a statement to the PA news agency: “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 wanted was a safe home for herself and her beautiful, kind girls. ”

Ezzedi, who came to the UK hiding in a truck in 2016, had his asylum application rejected twice, but successfully appealed the Home Office’s refusal by claiming he had converted to Christianity.

He was convicted of two sex offenses in 2018 but was allowed to remain in the UK because the charges were not serious enough to meet the criteria for deportation.

In 2020, a court judge ruled in favor of Mr. Ezzedi’s asylum claim after a former Baptist pastor confirmed that Mr. Ezzedi had converted to Christianity, reportedly He is said to be “completely committed” to his new religion.

On Wednesday, Tyne and Wear Baptist Church confirmed it was aware of a “link” to the suspect.

Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezzedi’s “demeanor” appeared to change as he walked across Chelsea Bridge, the Metropolitan Police said.

Speaking at a briefing at Scotland Yard, Commander John Savell said: “Once he got to Chelsea Bridge, his attitude seemed to change.

“I used to describe him as if he was walking with a purpose, as if he knew where he was going and was walking at a reasonable pace.

“When he enters Chelsea Bridge, he crosses it many times.

“And then when he comes back to the center, he goes from the railing back to the sidewalk and it looks like he’s looking at the edge of the railing.

“So there was a noticeable change in the way he moved.”