Body found in River Thames in manhunt for Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi

A body has been found in the River Thames by police searching for the Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi, almost three weeks after a major manhunt was launched.

The Metropolitan Police said it “strongly believes” the body pulled from the water in central London on Monday is Ezedi’s, although formal visual identification is impossible after a period of time being dragged by the strong current of the Thames.

Following hundreds of tips from the public, the body was recovered more than four miles away from the last sighting of the wanted man after the crew of a passing boat reported they had seen a body in the water at Tower Pier in Tower Hill at around 4pm.

Abdul Ezedi captured on CCTV with a facial injury suffered in the incident (PA Wire)

It comes after a major manhunt was launched when the 35-year-old, from the Newcastle area, went on the run, after allegedly pouring a strong, corrosive, alkaline substance on a mother and her two young daughters in Clapham, south London on 31 January.

The force said in its update on Tuesday that the condition of the 31-year-old woman, who is Ezedi’s ex-partner, has improved after she endured significant facial injuries, with the breakdown of the pair’s relationship considered a possible motive for the attack. She remains in hospital in a stable condition, while the children, aged eight and three, who are not Ezedi’s, were previously discharged.

Ezedi is a convicted sex offender who was granted asylum in the UK on his third attempt after converting to Christianity.

Following days of searching, the Metropolitan Police announced on 9 February it believed Ezedi went into the River Thames in west London around four hours after the alkaline attack. He was spotted on CCTV leaning over the railings of Chelsea Bridge before disappearing from view in what was the last confirmed sighting of the suspect.

Members of the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit searching for Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi near Chelsea Bridge on Saturday (PA)

The manhunt subsequently focused on an area of the Thames between Vauxhall and Chelsea bridges over the following couple of days, with crowds seen watching a circling police boat flashing lights and pausing beside a small ship before moving off again.

After 20 days of hunting, a body was recovered by the Met’s Marine Policing Unit in one of the routine searches that had continued as part of their daily work. It has subsequently been viewed by detectives working on the investigation. The force said the distinctive clothing that Ezedi was wearing at the time of the attack as well as the property found on the body led to its strong belief that the recovered body is him.

CCTV footage of Abdul Ezedi (left wearing a black jacket), the suspect in the Clapham alkaline substance attack, near Chelsea Bridge (PA)

Commander Jon Savell said: “Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi.

“We have been in contact with his family to pass on the news.

“As you may expect after a considerable period of time in the strong current of the Thames, formal identification is not possible visually, nor from fingerprints. We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records. That may take some time.”

Abdul Ezedi is a convicted sex offender who was granted asylum in the UK on his third attempt after converting to Christianity (PA)

The Met’s investigation into the attack continues and detectives have been carrying out a range of further enquiries. Hundreds of members of the public called the force with information during the hunt for Ezedi, in what police described as an “overwhelming” show of support. There have been no more arrests.

In their search for Ezedi, officers raided two addresses linked to him in Newcastle and also offered a £20,000 reward for anyone with information about his whereabouts.

The 31-year-old woman is no longer sedated and police said they hope to soon be able to speak with her once.

More follows on this breaking news story…