The Metropolitan Police has found two bodies in the River Thames as the search for Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi continues.
Neither of the bodies were connected with the fugitive suspect.
Detectives believe Ezedi entered the river hours after dousing his ex-partner and her two daughters with a corrosive substance.
Scotland Yard believes the 35-year-old Afghan refugee entered the water near Chelsea Bridge after carrying out the attack on January 31.
Members of the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit near to Chelsea Bridge
PA
Marine Policing Unit boats were pictured on the Thames as officers searched for a body yesterday.
Police found one man's body near HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge at 10.13am.
Another man's body was detected near Limehouse in East London at 10.39am.
Ezedi was last seen at 11.27pm at Chelsea Bridge on January 31, around four hours after the attack in South London.
In a briefing at Scotland Yard, Commander Jon Savell said: “We have spent the last 24 hours meticulously following the CCTV, and it's our main working hypothesis that he's now gone into the water.
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Abdul Ezedi converted to Christianity before having his asylum claim approvedMetropolitan Police“We have looked at all of the available cameras and angles, and with the assistance of Transport for London and CCTV from buses that were travelling over the bridge at the relevant time and there is no sighting of him coming off the bridge.”
Asked whether police were willing to say that Ezedi was dead, Detective Superintendent Rick Sewart said: “I'm prepared to say that he's gone into the water and if he's gone into the water then that's the most probable outcome.”
Officers warn the Thames is very fast flowing at the moment, meaning a body might never be found.
A former Met Police Detective believes the alleged chemical attack suspect is dead.
Peter Bleksley has shared his belief that Ezedi died after jumping into the River Thames and subsequently drowning.
The full CCTV image from the Met shows Ezedi on the south side of Chelsea BridgeMETROPOLITAN POLICE
He told GB News’ Stephen Dixon and Anne Diamond: “Abdul Ezedi, an utterly worthless individual, whose contribution to the UK was to create a legacy of victims of crime, is dead.
“He is dead. He went on to Chelsea Bridge, he was seen peering over the edge, there were a number of sightings.
“This is one of those cases, which, generally speaking, the public are not aware of when negative CCTV sightings are very, very important.
“We've grown used to in the last 20, 30 years, of seeing CCTV of criminals and police appeals, all being connected to a sighting of somebody.
“In this case, there have been no sightings of Ezedi, at either end of Chelsea Bridge, during the time span when he went on and to be looking over the edge, those negative sightings, in other words the fact he was simply was not seen, has proved, in my opinion, he has been claimed by the River Thames.”