Counter-terror police leading Abdul Ezedi manhunt as new CCTV released

Counter-terror police hunting Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi have released new footage of him showing his last confirmed sighting.

Ezedi, a 35-year-old refugee and convicted sex offender, is wanted in connection with the attack in south London, on Wednesday (31 January) that injured several people, including a 31-year-old mother and her two young children.

The mother may lose sight in her right eye after being doused with corrosive liquid, police said.

New footage has been found by counter terrorisms officers – who have been drafted in to help the Metropolitan Police find Ezedi – which show him later that evening in central London wearing a dark colored jacket with its hood pulled over his head.

CCTV shows him at 9.54pm walking along Upper Thames Street, Paul’s Walk and near the City of London School, before heading in the direction of Blackfriars Bridge.

His last sighting is at 10.04pm when he passed the Unilever building in Blackfriars, before heading towards Victoria Embankment, which is next to the River Thames.

Officers from the Met Police’s Counter Terrorism fugitive team said they found the new footage following “painstaking work” overnight on Monday.

Police are working on the premise that Ezedi, who lives in Newcastle, has been injured or is being hidden by someone.

Commander Jon Savell said after the footage was released it “remains our belief that he is being helped by others” and the police probe will continue to “target more of Ezedi’s associates”.

The last confirmed sighting of Ezedi before the new footage was released was on Southwark Bridge, which is near Upper Thames Street, on Wednesday evening at 9.47pm – over two hours after the attack.

Police have offered a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to Ezedi’s arrest.

Ezedi’s bank card has previously been used for Tube journeys and hasn’t been used since Wednesday night.

The manhunt is being led by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command and more than 100 officers are working on the investigation.

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A 22-year-old man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender in connection with the manhunt but was later released on bail.

Details of Ezedi have been circulated to all UK police forces and ports.

Police said there is no evidence to suggest Ezedi had made advance preparations to go on the run.

Ezedi, who is believed to be from Afghanistan, is understood to have arrived in the UK in 2016 on the back of a lorry.

He was handed a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on 9 January, 2018 after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault and exposure.

Ezedi was placed on the sex offender register for 10 years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as part of the sentence.

Ezedi was accused of grabbing the bottom of a woman without her consent in 2017, as well as committing a sex act that same year

If you have information about Ezedi’s whereabouts call a police 24/7 hotline on 020 7175 2784.

Additional reporting by Press Association