Clapham chemical attack – live: Witness who helped victims recalls ‘horrific’ aftermath as manhunt continues

A bystander who witnessed and suffered injuries in the Clapham chemical attack has said the incident was “traumatising” and “indescribable”.

Rachel, who did not want to disclose her surname, said she had “never witnessed anything so horrific in my life”.

Speaking to The Times, she said: “The screaming was so intense, it sounded like something serious was going on out there. That made me go outside.”

She added that she thought there was a car crash going on, until she saw “the man take the [youngest] child out [of the car] and I saw him throw the child — and just run off down the road”.

Rachel called the police and the ambulance and then helped to keep the three-year-old who was attacked calm.

She said she stayed with the child all the way to the hospital in an ambulance.

Detectives say Ezedi’s vehicle was seen in Newcastle at 00.15am on Wednesday. By 6.30am the vehicle was seen travelling into Tooting, south London.

A further sighting of his car was confirmed in Croydon at 4.30pm and he was seen driving in Streatham at 7pm.

The attack on a 31-year-old woman, believed to be known to Ezedi, and her daughters, aged three and eight, took place in Lessar Avenue in Clapham at 7.25pm that night.

Ezedi made off in his car but it crashed nearby. He then left the vehicle and ran off.

At 7.33pm the suspect boarded a Northern line train at Clapham South Tube station, and got off at King’s Cross just before 8pm.

He was seen on CCTV leaving a Tesco Express at 21 Caledonian Road, near King’s Cross, and turning right.

He had significant facial injuries and is believed to have bought a bottle of water.

Ezedi re-entered King’s Cross Tube station at 9pm and boarded a southbound Victoria line train. He has not been seen since.

It was reported that Ezedi, who is said to have travelled to the UK on a lorry from Afghanistan in 2016, was allowed to stay in the UK after a priest confirmed he had converted to Christianity.

The Home Office came under pressure to explain why Ezedi, the only suspect in the attack which left a mother with life-changing injuries and injured her two daughters, was still in the country after the sex offences – with MPs calling for an overhaul of the asylum system.

Labour said the Ezedi case “raises very serious questions” about the asylum process – urging home secretary James Cleverly to explain how Ezedi was granted sanctuary in the UK.

Abdul Ezedi, 35, who is on the run after an attack in Clapham, south London, on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and exposure in 2018 but was still granted asylum in Britain in 2021 or 2022.

The brother of Abdul Ezedi has said he would “turn him in” if he knew his whereabouts.

Hasan Ezedi, 21, said his East London home was raided by riot police officers at 2am on Thursday night in search of his older brother.

“If I knew where he was, I’d turn him in for what he did,” he told The Sun. “I don’t know if he’s alive or where he is now. I saw him briefly last week. He wasn’t living with me. He was in Newcastle.”

As the manhunt for Ezedi continues, here are his last known movements mapped:

In all, 12 people needed hospital treatment after the “targeted” attack in Lessar Avenue, which left the mother with injuries likely to be life-changing.

He also allegedly threw one of the children to the ground, and in his attempt to drive away from the scene, he crashed into a stationary vehicle and then made off on foot.

Metropolitan Police Commander Jon Savell told reporters outside Scotland Yard on Friday that “significant and important pieces of evidence” were recovered in searches carried out in east London and Newcastle on Thursday night.

Two empty containers labelled with corrosive warnings were found at an address in Newcastle, and forensic tests are checking if they held the substance used during the attack.

Mr 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.”

Police hunting for the fugitive sex offender suspected of attacking a mother and two young girls with a corrosive substance in Clapham have revealed that he was last sighted boarding a London Tube, after five overnight raids uncovered “significant” new evidence.

Commander Savell said police had obtained “significant and important” new evidence in overnight raids at two addresses in east London and three in Newcastle, where Ezedi is believed to have travelled to London from early on Wednesday morning.

Read more in this report:

Here is the timeline of Abdul Ezedi’s movements on the day of the attack, as presented by the Metropolitan Police:

12:15am – Ezedi’s vehicle is seen in Newcastle

6:30am – His vehicle is then seen traveling into Tooting, London

4:30pm – A further sighting of his vehicle is confirmed in Croydon

7:00pm – He is then seen driving in Streatham

7:25pm – Attack takes place in Lessar Avenue, SW4, before Ezedi makes off in his vehicle which crashes nearby. He leaves the car and runs off.

7:33pm – Ezedi boards a train at Clapham South Tube Station.

7:59pm – He is then seen leaving that train at King’s Cross Tube Station.

8:42pm – He is then seen on CCTV leaving Tesco at 21 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX. He exits and turns right.

9:00pm – Ezedi enters King’s Cross Tube Station and boards a Victoria Line tube Southbound.