Witnesses have described a “horrifying” scene after a woman and her two young daughters were attacked with a corrosive substance in south London.
Emergency services were called to Lesser Avenue, Clapham, at around 7.25pm. The victims were taken to the hospital along with three responding officers and two others who tried to help Wednesday night.
A couple who ran into the street after hearing cries for help and the sound of a car crash told the BBC what they saw.
“When I went outside, there was a man. He took the girl out of the car and slammed her to the ground twice,” said a man who asked not to be named. “I chased it halfway, but I couldn’t go very far because I was wearing slippers.When I came back, I saw the woman who had been attacked.”
“So I went inside to get water and sprayed her with water. It was so scary.”
One woman told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: Ask her partner to buy her a bottle of water. ”
A man was seen running away from the area, and police sent a helicopter to search for him. A white hatchback was seen abandoned with its door open behind a police cordon on Wednesday night.
Local Labor MP Alison Inglis-Jones said emergency services quickly arrived at the scene. She told Today the ward was “one of the safest in Lambeth and I am appalled by what has happened.”
Mr Inglis-Jones said the perpetrator had not yet been arrested and urged anyone with information to call 999.
A witness told Sky News: “There was a man with two children in a white car. It appeared he was trying to run over a woman. They were fighting.
“One of the girls in the back had her hand on the window. You can see the marks on the car. He grabbed one of the two children, grabbed him roughly and slammed him to the floor.
“Then the woman screamed, ‘Eyes!’ My eyes! Please call the police, my eyes! Then I saw him run away. It was all so traumatic.”
Det Supt Alexander Castle said: “A man was seen fleeing the scene. We are using resources across the Met to apprehend this individual and work is ongoing to establish what led to this horrific incident.” .”
Mr Castle added: “Testing is underway to determine what the substance is, but at this stage we believe it is a corrosive substance.”
He said the injuries to the three officers appeared to be minor.
