Nine people injured in ‘acid attack’ on street
NINE people, including two children and three police officers, have been injured after a suspected acid attack on the streets of London.
A woman and her two young children were the suspected victims of the attack, as a man is believed to have thrown a corrosive substance over them on a road near Clapham Common.
Police were called to the scene on Lessar Avenue at around 7.25pm last night alongside an ambulance service hazardous response team, and the woman and her children were taken to hospital.
Three other adults were also taken to hospital, with injuries thought to have been suffered as they came to the aid of the woman and her children.
Firefighters later said they had used specialist equipment to detect the substance used in the attack.
The Metropolitan Police said three officers who responded to the incident were also injured.
Of those injured, five were taken to a major trauma centre, and three to a local hospital, the ambulance service said, while one person was discharged at the scene.
Det Supt Alexander Castle said last night: “Officers are on scene following this horrific incident.
“While tests are ongoing to determine what the substance is, at this stage we believe it to be a corrosive substance,” he said.
“A man was seen fleeing the scene. We are drawing on resources from across the Met to apprehend this individual and work is ongoing to determine what has led to this awful incident.”
No arrest has been made and police said they will give an update on the conditions of the injured people as soon as they can.
Marina Ahmad, Labour’s London Assembly member for Lambeth & Southwark, posted on social media: “There has been a traffic collision with a man assaulting occupants in a car and throwing acid. Victims include children.”
The London Ambulance service said it sent members of the hazardous area response team to the scene. A spokesman said: “We sent a number of resources to the scene, including two incident response officers, three ambulance crews, and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).
“We treated nine people, five of whom were taken to a major trauma centre.
“Three patients were taken to a local hospital and the other was discharged at the scene.”
Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall, wrote in a post on social media: “Please retweet and share – very concerning to hear about this incident in #Clapham – no arrests have been made yet so any information is vital.”
Bell Ribeiro-addy, MP for Streatham, wrote: “Very concerned to hear reports of an acid attack on Lessar Avenue in Clapham earlier tonight around 7:25pm, which has resulted in multiple injuries.
She added: “I’ll share more updates when I receive them. In the meantime, please avoid the area if possible whilst our emergency services carry out their work.”
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said: “Firefighters were called to a chemical incident on Lessar Avenue in Clapham this evening.
“Working alongside emergency service partners, crews provided immediate emergency care to a woman and two children.
“Five further people were also treated at the scene. They were all taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
“Crews also used specialist equipment to detect a corrosive substance that is believed to have been used in the incident.”