TV host’s boyfriend is hunted over acid attack at nightclub
The boyfriend of a presenter on ITV’s This Morning was being hunted last night over an acid attack at a club.
Police warned the public not to approach Arthur Collins, who is dating Ferne McCann.
Miss McCann, 26, described the accusations as ‘highly shocking’. The showbusiness presenter urged her boyfriend to report to a police station immediately.
Police are said to have raided an address in hertfordshire to serve an arrest warrant on Collins. It is understood he was not present at the £1million property and a man aged 54 and a 52-year-old woman were arrested.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Arthur Collins, 25, of hertfordshire is wanted for questioning by police.
‘Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact investigators.
‘he should not be approached by members of the public. If seen, the public are advised to call 999 immediately.’ Twenty people were injured early on Monday morning when a toxic liquid was sprayed at Mangle nightclub in hackney, east London.
Two men, aged 24 and 29, were seriously hurt in the attack, which followed an argument. They have been moved to a specialist burns hospital in essex.
Mr Collins, a scaffolder, has been in an on-off relationship with Miss McCann.
She is best known for her appearances in The Only Way is essex and I’m A Celebrity ...Get Me Out of here!
The couple posed for this week’s OK! magazine in which Miss McCann said: ‘We want to get married on a beach. I want it to be a party and a celebration. I definitely think Arthur is the one.’
A spokesman for Miss McCann said: ‘Ferne has co-operated with the police in their inquiries. She was not with Arthur on Sunday night; was not at Mangle; and has no direct knowledge of the events.’
A model told the Mail that security at the club was lax. Prue Fraser, 20, from Australia, suffered second-degree burns to her arm and elbow.
her sister Isobella, 22 and also a model, had third-degree burns to her back and arms.
‘I don’t think the security was that thorough,’ Prue told the Mail. ‘I did have my bag checked by, like, a glimpse. If someone can bring acid into a club you just wonder.
‘I’m not blaming the security but if the security was stricter, this wouldn’t have happened.’ She said the pain was ‘crazy’. It is understood the club was evacuated in line with a procedure agreed by the emergency services. Police say the attack was not gang-related.