Chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi could have killed himself instead of turning himself in police believe, after CCTV suggested he 'jumped off bridge and drowned'

Police say it's possible chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi could have drowned

Police believe chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi may have thrown himself off Chelsea Bridge and drowned in the Thames rather than turn himself in.

Metropolitan Police officers have been chasing the 35-year-old Afghan asylum seeker since Wednesday, January 31, after he doused a mother and her two daughters in chemical in a horrific attack.

The woman, who suffered potentially life-changing injuries, was known to Ezedi and remains in hospital in a critical, but stable condition.

But it is understood investigators now believe it is possible her suspected attacker died in the river soon after the incident.

CCTV footage of Abdul Ezedi (bottom right wearing a black jacket), the suspect in the Clapham alkaline substance attack, crossing over Chelsea Bridge

The Metropolitan Police said two raids were carried out by armed officers at addresses in Newcastle associated with alkali attack suspect Abdul Ezedi in the early hours of Thursday morning

The manhunt for fugitive Abdul Ezedi (pictured) entered its second week with police revealing the motive behind the ‘brutal’ attack appears to be the breakdown of a relationship

Abdul Ezedi was last seen leaving Tower Hill underground station in east London at 9.33pm on January 31 (pictured leaving the tube station)

Nick Aldworth a former national counter-terrorism co-ordinator with 36 years’ experience in the police and military, says it is ‘not unlikely’ Ezedi could have taken his own life

One source told The Sun: ‘The investigation team believe Ezedi died soon after the last sighting of him on camera on the north side of the river.’

Manhunt specialists from the Met’s counter terrorism fugitive teams last placed Ezedi on the north side of Vauxhall Bridge, 59 minutes after the attack.

From there, he was last seen walking west towards Chelsea Bridge, where he could to have jumped into the water.

At a news briefing on Wednesday Commander Jon Savell said: ‘It is a possibility he has gone into the Thames.

‘Sadly, we recover people from the Thames and it takes a while for it to happen.

‘It is a very fast-flowing body of water. Nobody has seen anyone going into the Thames and no bodies have been recovered.’

Last week, Nick Aldworth a former national counter-terrorism co-ordinator with 36 years’ experience in the police and military, said it was is ‘not unlikely’ Ezedi could have taken his own life.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think if we’ve not seen or heard from him in the the last couple of days, which appears to be the case, he’s gone to ground, possibly supported by somebody…

‘Or – it’s not unlikely or improbable – that he may have taken his own life. There is therefore a body to be found somewhere.’

Questions have been raised over how the suspect, who was granted asylum in the UK after two failed attempts, was able to stay in the country despite being convicted of a sex offence.

Police said Ezedi left Newcastle in the early hours of Wednesday and travelled south to London and was in the Tooting area by around 6.30am.

His vehicle was seen again in Croydon, south London, at around 4.30pm and by around 7pm he was in Streatham.

Ezedi allegedly threw the younger child to the ground during the attack at 7.25pm, before attempting to drive away from the scene, crashing into a stationary vehicle and fleeing on foot.

Minutes later he boarded a Tube train at Clapham South Underground station, and by 8pm he was at King’s Cross Tube station.

Police say three members of the public who came to the aid of the family during Wednesday’s attack, two aged in their 30s and one in her 50s, have all been discharged from hospital with minor burns.

BBC Radio 4 also interviewed a woman who suffered third degree burns to her foot while rescuing the three-year-old girl in the attack.

Sue Sim, former Chief Constable of Northumbria Police who led the manhunt for killer Raoul Moat, said: ‘What you do have to remember is it’s very easy to vanish in a city’

The woman, who lives nearby, rang police and went with the girl to hospital. She took action after she saw the little girl being pulled out of the car and thrown to the ground

She said: ‘I think everyone just froze because they didn’t realise what had just happened. In the spacxe of a second, he did it again and that’s when everyone tried to grab him, because if no one grabbed him, he would have done it a third time.’

Sue Sim, the former Chief Constable of Northumbria Police – who led the manhunt for killer Raoul Moat, shared her thoughts on the hunt to find Abdul Azedi.

She told Good Morning Britain: ‘What you do have to remember is, it’s very easy to vanish in a city. People walk with their heads down, people don’t like to acknowledge other people.

‘A city is far easier to vanish into than the wilds of Northumberland where Moat went missing in 2010.

‘But yes, if somebody is hiding him, hand him in immediately.’

Moat, who had a hatred of police, notoriously gunned down his ex-partner’s new boyfriend Chris Brown before shooting PC David Rathband in Newcastle city centre.

He was caught after seven days hiding in woodland near Rothbury, Northumberland, when a woman watched him walk past her front door and phoned police. Moat later shot himself in the head in a showdown with police.

Ms Sim added: ‘The public are the best support to the police in instances when people go missing. Yes, police will be using all their investigative and intelligence techniques. But the public – they’re the ones who will bring this man to justice.

‘Please call the police immediately if you know where he is.’

Asked by host Richard Madeley, she said she had ‘no doubt’ Ezedi would be found.

Releasing the new information about Ezedi’s movements, officers confirmed the 35-year-old, suspected of chucking an alkaline substance over the family on Wednesday evening, was last seen exiting Tower Hill Underground station that night at 9.33pm.

After fleeing the scene on Lesser Avenue in the south London suburb, Ezedi visited a Tesco Express store on Caledonian Road, where he bought a bottle of water. He then boarded a southbound Victoria Line train from King’s Cross at 9pm.

The suspect arrived to Victoria Station at 9.10pm before switching tube lines, departing on the eastbound District Line at 9.16pm, before exiting the tube station in east London.

New footage released by the force today showed Ezedi strolling through the Tesco store with what appears to be a large burn mark over his right eye. He looks face-down at the floor every time he passes a fellow customer or member of staff.

The man, dressed in a blue t-shirt with a black coat and black jeans, clutches onto a large water bottle as he walks out the door of the store and turns right towards the station.

The huge reward for information comes as the nation-wide manhunt for the fugitive enters its fourth day. Officers re-issued calls for Ezedi to hand himself into the police.

Forensic police at the scene on Wednesday night near Clapham following the attack

Providing an update on the chemical that the 35-year-old is suspected of chucking at the mother and her two little girls, age three and eight, police confirmed it an alkaline substance.

Commander Savell said: ‘The liquid used in the attack was a very strong concentrated corrosive substance, either liquid sodium hydroxide or liquid sodium carbonate.’

The officer added that further investigations were taking place to compare the liquid to the large containers seized from Ezedi’s address in Newcastle.

Commander Savell urged anyone with information to contact police, adding: ‘I am hugely grateful to the public for the significant number of calls that we have received.

‘Your help is critical. A reward of up to £20,000 is now available for information leading to his arrest.

‘I must warn anyone who is helping Ezedi to evade capture – if you are harbouring or assisting him then you will be arrested.’

In a direct appeal to Ezedi, Darius Nasimi of the charity of Afghanistan & Central Asian Association, said: ‘Abdul, I am speaking directly to you. I want you to go straight to a police station immediately.

‘You have a serious injury that needs to be seen to but, more importantly, you must do the right thing and hand yourself in to police.

‘This has gone on for long enough.’

He said the suspect could contact the charity or go to the police immediately to help with the enquiries.

Last night the National Crime Agency – the UK’s equivalent of the FBI – were drafted in to help the Met find the 35-year-old who is suspected of chucking the alkaline substance at the family on Wednesday evening.

Officers are investigating concerns that an organised crime group could be helping the fugitive hide from the authorities.

New video footage shows the suspect walking through the Tesco Express on Caledonian Road, nearest to King’s Cross train station

Police have shared footage of Ezedi pictured on CCTV in King’s Cross (left) and Tesco (right) with significant injuries after the attack

The 31-year-old mother, who was known to Ezedi, remains ‘very poorly’ and sedated in hospital with her injuries thought to be ‘life changing’. 

Her daughters, aged three and eight, have now been released from hospital following the attack.

The woman was reportedly living in the hotel in Clapham with her two little girls for a fortnight, thought to have been hiding from Ezedi. 

The search for Ezedi is being led by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command unit who are working with the Home Office, UK Border Force, UK Visas and Immigration, the National Crime Agency and British Transport Police.

Local police forces are also involved in the massive hunt for the man.

 It comes as witnesses continue to relive the terrifying ordeal with a brave have-a-go hero recalling how her partner lunged at the suspect as he tried to harm the toddler.

One couple ran out onto Lesser Avenue in the south London suburb when they heard terrifying screams coming from outside.

The pair, who asked to remain anonymous, said they saw a man – thought to be Ezedi – attacking a ‘vulnerable woman’.

They told the Sunday Times: ‘We had no idea any substance was involved; only that the guy was clearly intent on hurting the [three-year-old].

‘He then went to pick the child up off the road to do it [throw the child to the ground] again, which is when my partner lunged in and tackled him, grabbing his leg and falling to the ground in the process like a rugby tackle.

‘I have no doubt that if my partner had not jumped in then the child would no longer be with us, and if our other neighbours hadn’t immediately taken the family and washed them down then their injuries would have been far worse.’

Both the man and woman have been injured from the attack. He has arm injuries, while his partner has ‘burnt both eyeballs’ and may have permanent damage.

Ezedi was last seen on Wednesday night at King’s Cross Underground station where he boarded a southbound Victoria line train, with what looked like severe burn son his right eye.

Forensics at the scene take picture of the location close to Clapham Common following the incident

Over the weekend police said ‘significant and important pieces of evidence’ were recovered in raids at two addresses in east London and three in Newcastle.

They include empty containers with corrosive warnings found at one address in Newcastle, which are shown in new footage released by detectives.

Forensic tests to see if the containers held the substance used in the attack are ongoing.

Since launching its appeal, the Met said it has received ‘dozens of calls’ about the manhunt, including possible sightings of Ezedi.

The force said it is working ’round the clock’ with British Transport Police, Northumbria Police, the National Crime Agency and Transport for London on the manhunt.

Commander Jon Savell said: ‘The police investigation to establish his subsequent movements and ultimately locate him is continuing at pace.

‘I want to thank everyone who has contacted police to share what they know.

‘We have received dozens of calls with information, including possible sightings, and every single piece of information has been recorded and forms part of our ongoing investigation.

‘I can assure the public that my colleagues and I are fully committed to using every available tool and tactic for as long as it takes to find Abdul Ezedi.

The Met Police have released more images of Clapham chemical attack Abdul Ezedi strolling injured through King’s Cross station following Wednesday’s events

‘I am today urging the public to remain vigilant and to contact police immediately if they may have seen Ezedi or have information about him.

‘I would also like to reiterate that if you see Ezedi, you should call 999 immediately. He should not be approached.’

Questions remain over how the suspect, who was granted asylum in the UK after two failed attempts, was able to stay in the country despite being convicted of a sex offence.

Ezedi, who is thought to have arrived in the UK from Afghanistan on the back of a lorry in 2016, claimed to have converted to Christianity, which would have put him at risk following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed he was handed a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on January 9 2018 after pleading guilty to one charge of sexual assault and one of exposure.

He was put on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Today a shadow minister has suggested that Ezedi should never have been granted asylum into the UK. 

When asked by Trevor Phillips on his Sky News programme whether there is ‘something wrong’ with a system that allowed the wanted man to stay in the UK, Chris Bryant said ‘yes’.

He added: ‘In the main, on the face of it, if everything that we have been told is true, then it seems absolutely extraordinary that the British people should be put at such risk from this person.

‘Of course it’s something we might need to look at.’

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said this morning that the alkali attack was ‘not really about asylum’.

She told Sky ‘we need to get to the bottom’ of why Ezedi was allowed to remain in Britain indicating the issue is being investigated by the Home Office.

Asked how it was possible the suspect had been granted asylum after being found guilty of a sexual offence, Mrs Keegan said: ‘I think that is something that more than one person is asking.

‘My understanding is the Home Secretary has asked for all the details, but this is not really about asylum,’ she added, before going on to talk about the victims and others impacted by the attack.

She continued: ‘Clearly, what we say is that anybody who commits crimes is not able to stay in this country. So, if you have a sentence of more than 12 months, you are not allowed to stay if you have a criminal record, etc.

‘We don’t want to have people in this country who have criminal records.’

Prime Minster Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said on Friday that the PM does not think ‘foreign criminals should be able to stay’ in the UK.

It has been reported that the suspect was able to gain asylum after claiming he had converted to Christianity.

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle said in a statement it had found nothing to suggest he had become a Catholic but checks were continuing.

It said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the victims of this appalling attack in south London.’

The diocese confirmed that Ezedi ‘visited our diocesan Justice and Peace Refugee Project, a charitable venture which assists a wide range of people who come to us in need’.

It added: ‘After checking local parish records and central records and after consulting with clergy we have no indication that Abdul Ezedi was received into the Catholic faith in this diocese or that a Catholic priest of this diocese gave him a reference.

‘We do not know which Christian church received him nor which Christian minister gave him a reference.’

The project says on its website that it gives food, toiletries and clothes to vulnerable people.

It does not get involved with any asylum claims clients may be pursuing, it is understood. It is understood that Ezedi visited it recently.

The Church of England said it is currently not aware of any links to its churches, with a spokesperson adding that it is ‘the role of the Home Office, and not the church, to vet asylum seekers and judge the merits of their individual cases’.

The case has echoes of that of Iraqi-born Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, who died from a blast and subsequent fire after his homemade bomb detonated in a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

He also claimed to be a Christian convert to support his asylum claim.

Police in hazmat suits raid a home in east London amid the search for Clapham chemical attack fugitive Ezedi

Officers were seen smashing in the doors of the property shortly after 2am on Friday

At a press conference on Friday, Mr Savell urged the suspect to hand himself in. 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.’

His brother Hassan Ezedi told The Sun he would hand the suspect in if he knew where he was.

The wanted man left Newcastle in the ‘very, very early hours’ of Wednesday and travelled south to the capital and was in the Tooting area by around 6.30am, police say.

His vehicle was seen again in Croydon, south London, at around 4.30pm and by around 7pm he was in Streatham.

Ezedi allegedly threw the younger child to the ground during the attack at 7.25pm, before attempting to drive away from the scene, crashing into a stationary vehicle and fleeing on foot.

Minutes later he boarded a tube at Clapham South Underground station, and by 8pm he was at King’s Cross tube station.

MailOnline revealed that Ezedi has more recently living in the Byker area of Newcastle in a hostel on the city’s Wilfred Street

St Vincent’s Centre, in Byker, Newcastle, where acid attack suspect Abdul Ezedi visited the Justice and Peace Refugee Project every two weeks for toiletries and food

At 8.42pm, Ezedi was captured on CCTV in Tesco on the Caledonian Road, pictured with a ‘fairly significant facial injury’ buying a bottle of water, before leaving and heading right.

He got on a Victoria line Tube at 9pm heading south, the last confirmed sighting.

Police say three members of the public who came to the aid of the family during Wednesday’s attack, two in their 30s and one in her 50s, have all been discharged from hospital with minor burns.

Five officers who responded to the incident were also treated and have now left hospital.

As well as the 11 people taken to hospital, a man in his 50s, who also helped, declined hospital treatment for minor injuries, police said.

Anyone with information about Abdul Ezedi is asked to call 020 7175 2784 or for an immediate sighting dial 999. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers.