Terrifying moment masked burglary gang scale pensioner’s garden wall before throwing acid over his face and threatening him with screwdriver – as police hunt robbers behind spate of five violent break-ins
- The elderly victim says he was pinned to the ground at home in Southall, London
Shocking footage shows the moment ‘armed’ burglars climbed over a wall before they allegedly launched an acid attack on a pensioner watching TV at home.
The victim, in his 70s, said within seconds three thugs had pounced on him, doused his face in corrosive liquid, pinned him to the ground with a screwdriver and held a knife to his neck. He also alleges they stole a safe containing cash and jewellery.
He claims they bashed him in the head, kicked him, ransacked his home for about 15 minutes and left him fearing for his life.
The elderly man, who is not being named, said they then fled from his property in Southall, west London, in a vehicle on Thursday night.
‘I was watching Indian TV then all of a sudden two men smashed into my home. Another guy came in after them,’ he told The Sun. ‘One of them screamed at me: “Sit down or we will kill you”.
The car is seen in the background with its lights on waiting outside the front of the property
‘They threw chemicals or detergent in my face and held a screwdriver to my throat and held me down.
‘My face began burning and swelling up, I covered my eyes.’
He was taken to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening or life-altering, police say.
CCTV reportedly shows how three hooded men came out of a car, with a fourth accomplice appearing to stay behind.
Police are linking a series of incidents in west and north-west London last week.
In each incident the circumstances have been similar; a group of masked men have forced entry to homes and either threatened or sprayed occupants with a corrosive substance, before fleeing.
The suspects have been described as being dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas and gloves. They are believed to have fled in a dark-coloured vehicle.
‘A team of detectives are working around the clock to try to identify the group,’ Met Police say.
CCTV showed men climbing over a wall of a property in Southall, west London
Detective Sergeant Huss Ahmed, North West Command Unit, added: ‘Local people have been rightly concerned following a number of incidents that have been reported online and on social media. We of course share that concern.
‘We can confirm we are treating five incidents across Harrow and Ealing as linked.
‘We are advising local people to be vigilant but not alarmed – stay alert to your surroundings at night, keep doors locked and windows closed, and monitor any doorbell and security camera systems to check on any suspicious activity.
‘If you have information, video or images that you think could help us, it is vital that you report it to us immediately so that we can track down and arrest the people responsible.’
There have been no arrests at this time.
Detectives are hunting a masked gang linked to a spate of five violent burglaries around London that took place over just 46 hours
Police were called last Wednesday to reports of an aggravated burglary in Brent Cross where four men allegedly broke in to a property before threatening the woman living there with a knife. An unknown substance was thrown towards the 40-year-old victim. It is not known if anything was stolen.
About an hour and 25 minutes later, police were called to an incident at an address in Harrow where four males had broken in and stolen jewellery. There were no reports of injuries with this incident.
Then, on Thursday night, police were called to the incident in Southall. It was reported that four men had broken into the property armed with a knife and a screwdriver. They sprayed a corrosive liquid into the face of a man who was at the address and stole a safe containing cash and jewellery.
The fourth incident happened in Harrow on Friday evening. Four males forced entry into a property and threatened the resident with a liquid. Jewellery and other items were stolen before the group fled. No one was injured.
The final incident also happened on Friday. A group of men were reported to have broken into a home in Greenford. Three female victims – one in her 60s and two in their 20s – were assaulted with a corrosive substance.
The victims were taken to hospital for injuries which were later assessed to be not life-threatening or life-changing.
