Detectives hunting for a man wanted over a chemical assault that injured a vulnerable woman and her two young daughters have recovered a body in the Thames, Scotland Yard has said.
Abdul Ezedi has been sought by police since the attack on 31 January in Clapham, in south London, with officers appealing to the public to call 999 if they saw him.
Marine police had been searching the Thames after officers concluded he had gone into the river hours after the attack.
Ezedi was seen walking “with purpose” to Chelsea Bridge in west London, officers said, and then captured on CCTV leaning over the railings of the bridge on the night of the attack. After that, there was a visible change in his behaviour, but no sighting on any CCTV footage of him coming off the bridge.
Scotland Yard had appealed for Ezedi – who was himself wounded in the attack and bore “significant injuries to the right side of his face” – to hand himself in.
He is believed to have driven from his home in Newcastle to London early on the morning of the attack carrying the chemicals he would allegedly use hours later.
The 31-year-old woman, whom police said Ezedi knew, remains in hospital – with detectives saying her injuries were thought to be “life-changing”. Her children, aged three and eight, are not thought to be as severely injured as first feared.
Police said that, at about 4pm on Monday, the crew of a passing boat reported they had seen a body in the water at Tower Pier. The body was recovered by the Met’s marine policing unit and Scotland Yard said it has been viewed by detectives hunting Ezedi.
“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,” said Commander Jon Savell.
“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.
“Our inquiries continue into the attack. I am pleased to say the condition of the 31-year-old woman has improved. She remains in hospital but she is in a stable condition and no longer sedated. We have still not been able to speak to her but hope to as soon as she is well enough.
“Again, I thank all those hundreds of members of the public who called us with information during the hunt for Ezedi. The public support for our investigation was overwhelming and every piece of information provided was followed up.”
