Clapham attack: £20,000 reward in search for Abdul Shokoor Ezedi

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in a chemical attack on a mother and her daughters in Clapham, police have said.

Abdul Shokoor Ezedi was last seen leaving Tower Hill Underground station on 31 January at 21:33 GMT, the Metropolitan Police said.

People who know where he is have yet to come forward, detectives said.

The injured woman, known to Ezedi, is critical but stable in hospital.

The attack - carried out with a corrosive substance - took place on Lessar Avenue, Clapham at 19:25 on Wednesday.

The mother, 31, is said to have experienced life-changing injuries while her daughters, aged three and eight, suffered injuries not "as serious as first thought".

The Met's Cdr Jon Savell said a laboratory analysis of the substance from the attack site found it was a "very strong concentrated corrosive substance, either liquid sodium hydroxide or liquid sodium carbonate".

"Further enquiries are ongoing including comparison with the containers seized from Ezedi's address in Newcastle," he added.

Dozens of calls have been received by the Met following an appeal, and searches have taken place at two addresses in east London and three in Newcastle.

Since the attack on Wednesday night, police have revealed more information on Ezedi's movements.

The 35-year-old left the Newcastle area in the early hours of Wednesday before travelling down to the capital.

CCTV footage shows Ezedi at a Tesco shop in Caledonian Road, Islington, north London, on Wednesday at 20:38.

At 21:00, he was captured on CCTV entering King's Cross Underground station and boarding a southbound Victoria line train. An image released by police pictured the man with significant injuries to the right side of his face.

He arrived at Victoria at 21:10 and changed trains to travel eastbound on the District line at 21:16, police said.

Three women and a man attempted to stop the attacker as he fled the scene.

He tried to leave in a car, but he collided with a parked vehicle and then ran on foot towards Clapham Common.

Three members of the public who came to the aid of the family have been discharged from hospital with minor burns.

Five officers who attended the attack were treated and have now left hospital.

Cdr Jon Savell said he was "hugely grateful" to the public for the "significant number of calls" the force had received, saying: "Your help is critical."

"I must warn anyone who is helping Ezedi to evade capture - if you are harbouring or assisting him then you will be arrested," he added.

The Met is working with the Home Office, UK Border Force, UK Visas and Immigration, the National Crime Agency, British Transport Police and several other police forces in the search.

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

Speaking to BBC News, Darius Nasimi of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association charity described the attack as "horrific" and said Ezedi should "hand himself into the police straightaway".

"If anyone knows anything about his whereabouts then they should directly report it to the police because this has gone on for too long," he said.

He said Ezedi or anyone with information about him could also contact the charity.

The Met posted a Farsi-language version of its appeal to locate Ezedi on social media.

The BBC has confirmed that Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, who is believed to have travelled on a lorry from Afghanistan in 2016, was convicted of a sexual offence in 2018.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he was sentenced on 9 January 2018 after pleading guilty to one charge of sexual assault and one of exposure.

He was given a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court and put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Ezedi was later granted asylum after two failed attempts. He was allowed to stay in the country after a priest confirmed he had converted to Christianity.

An asylum seeker can claim asylum in the UK if they fear religious persecution in their native country.

It is not yet known which Christian denomination supported the man's claim.

The Catholic Church in the North East confirmed he was part of a justice and peace charitable project, but has yet to confirm whether he was helped in other ways.

Anyone with information about the suspect is being asked to contact the police on 020 7175 2784 or for an immediate sighting dial 999.