Timeline of Clapham chemical suspect's movements as police manhunt enters third day

A manhunt for suspected chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi has entered its third day.

Police are searching for the 35-year-old from the Newcastle area after a mother and two children were doused with an alkaline substance in Clapham, south London on Wednesday night.

The mother, 31, remains sedated in hospital, and is said to be “very poorly” with “life-changing” injuries.

Her daughters, aged three and eight, the youngest of which was allegedly thrown to the ground in the attack, are said to have suffered less severe injuries.

Police have urged Ezedi, who is described as having “significant injuries to the right side of his face” ,to hand himself in after going on the run following Wednesday night's incident.

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.

Police chiefs have said this is among the “significant and important" evidence recovered in five searches in east London and Newcastle on Thursday night.

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."

Making a direct appeal to Ezedi, Mr Savell 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.”

The UK-wide search is being undertaken by Transport for London, British Transport Police and Northumbria Police.

A timeline of Abdul Ezedi's movements

Early Wednesday: The wanted man left Newcastle in the “very, very early hours” of Wednesday and travelled south to the capital.

6.30am: Edezi arrived in the Tooting area by around 6.30am.

4.30pm: A sighting of his vehicle was reported at about 4.30pm in Croydon.

7pm: By about this time he was in Streatham.

7.25pm: The attack took place before he allegedly attempted to drive away from the scene, crashing into a stationary vehicle and fleeing on foot.

7.30pm: Minutes after the attack Ezedi boarded a tube at Clapham South underground station.

8pm: He was at King’s Cross tube station.

8.42pm: Ezedi was filmed on CCTV in Tesco on Caledonian Road, with a “fairly significant facial injury” buying a bottle of water, before leaving and heading right.

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

Eyewitness Shannon Christi told ITV News she heard banging and cries for help, prompting her to run out of her home.

Ms Christi said: "I saw this man take a little girl out of the car and throw her to the floor twice. I ran over and grabbed the child and bought her into my house.

"He ran down the road and my partner chased him down. I saw another little girl crying so I took her in. Then, I saw the mum screaming I can't see. I just saw red. I had tunnel vision. The little girl was just crying."

Ms Christi, who began to feel a burning sensation in her mouth and on her skin, leading to her being taken to hospital, said the incident was "traumatising".

Shannon Christi, who says she helped the young children during the attack, recalls the incident to ITV News' Helen Keenan

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.

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.

Ezedi, who is believed to be from Afghanistan, was granted asylum after two failed attempts, having reportedly travelled to the UK on a lorry in 2016.

ITV News understands Ezedi, who was granted asylum after two failed attempts, was convicted of a sexual offence in 2018. It has sparked renewed concerns within the Tory party over the government's handling of immigration

Home Secretary James Cleverly described the attack as “appalling”, and said: “My thoughts are with them (the victims) and the brave members of the public and police who intervened.

“I urge the public to support the Metropolitan Police’s appeal and to come forward if they have any information.”

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