Footage emerges of chemical attack which injured mother and two children

Footage has emerged of the chemical attack in south London in which a woman and two children were injured.

Police say a “corrosive substance” was thrown during the attack in Clapham, which was described by the fire brigade as a “chemical incident”.

The CCTV footage shows a man running around a car before getting into the driver’s seat, with a woman and child in front of the vehicle holding their hands to their faces.

The man drives the car at the woman and strikes her, before he stops the vehicle and gets out. He opens the back door and appears to remove a child, before violently throwing them to the ground.

The video also appears to show people from neighbouring properties leaving their homes to chase the man down the road.

Nine people were injured in the incident, including two children, their mother and three police officers.

It took place on Lessar Avenue shortly before 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Five of those injured were taken to a major trauma centre, according to the London Ambulance Service (LAS).

Three more were taken to a local hospital and one was discharged at the scene.

Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle, of the Metropolitan Police, said the substance was believed to be “corrosive” but that tests were ongoing.

A helicopter is now involved in a manhunt to catch the person behind the attack.

‘It was all so traumatising’

An eyewitness, who asked to stay anonymous, told Sky News: “There was a man in a white car with two children. It looked like he tried to run over a woman. They had been fighting.

“One girl in the back had her hand on the window – you can see the mark on the car.

“He grabbed one of the two children and violently grabbed them and slammed them on the floor.

“The lady then shouted: ‘My eyes! My eyes! Call the police, my eyes!’

“Then I saw him run off. It was all so traumatising.”

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Another witness described how he tried to wash the chemical from the woman’s face.

“It was horrific,” he told Sky News. “First a man grabbed his kid – a girl aged two or three from a white car. He threw her onto the floor – twice. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

“The man then threw something at the woman. She was screaming: ‘My eyes! My eyes!’

“I then ran into my house, grabbed a water bottle and threw water on her eyes. Her lips were black. Her skin looked burnt.

“I then chased the man halfway down the street. I was wearing my slippers so didn’t get very far.”

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