Clapham attack: Woman and two children targeted with ‘corrosive substance’

A total of nine individuals, including a woman, her two children and three officers were injured as a result of the incident. The injuries of the responding officers are thought to be minor, Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle said in a news release.

All of the injured individuals were treated at the scene, with five being transported to a major trauma centre. Three were taken to a local hospital for treatment and one other person was discharged at the scene.

Marina Ahmad, a London assembly member, said the suspected acid attack stemmed from a traffic collision, adding that a man was “assaulting occupants in a car and throwing acid,” she wrote on X.

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.”1

Witnesses recalled one of the victims, the mother of the two children, screaming for help shortly after an argument with the suspect. “My eyes. My eyes. Call the police. My eyes,” a witness told Sky News.

The man then allegedly returned to the car and attempted to run the woman over, reported The Sun.

The witness said: “There was a little baby girl banging on the door on the dad’s side, the lady was crying, screaming” and calling for help.

“He opened the door, took out the baby and banged her against the ground twice.”

Another witness told the BBC that the mother cried “I can’t see, I can’t see” as he tried to help her. “It was quite horrific,” he added.

A couple who live close by said they ran to the street to help the woman crying for help.

“We came outside and saw this guy and he took a girl out of the car and he slammed her to the ground twice,” a witness told the broadcaster.

“I chased him half way down the road, but I was in slippers so didn’t get very far.

“As I came back, that’s when I saw the woman who had been attacked with whatever substance it was so I ran inside to get some water and just sprayed her down with water.”

Police are working to locate the suspect in Wednesday evening’s “horrific” incident and have deployed a helicopter to help in the search.

Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle said police are using all their resources to make an arrest in the incident.

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“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,” he said.

Any members of the public who have information regarding the incident were encouraged to call 999.

Police are running tests to determine substance used in yesterday’s attack that left nine injured, including a mother and her two children.

“At this stage we believe it to be a corrosive substance,” said Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle.

A woman and her two young children have been taken to hospital after a man threw a suspected corrosive substance at them in south London.

Police responded to the incident in Lessar Avenue near Clapham Common at around 7.25pm yesterday.

They are working to locate the suspect in Wednesday evening’s “horrific” incident and have deployed a helicopter to help in the search.

It is believed that three passersby had tried to come to the aid of the woman and her children, before suffering injuries themselves. The injuries of the responding officers are thought to be minor, Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle said in a news release.