Moment saboteur sprays family-run Knightsbridge restaurant with foul-smelling liquid in stink bomb ‘vendetta’ as police release pictures of men they want to trace
- CCTV shows man spraying restaurant with ‘strong smelling food preservative’
- Freej Swalieh, near Harrods, has been targeted three times by smelly substance
- Police shared snaps of men they would like to speak too about October incident
- Business was most recently hit at 4.10am last Tuesday but also on February 19
Saboteurs have been caught on camera spraying a foul-smelling liquid over the front of a family-run restaurant near Harrods.
Detectives released CCTV of two of three attacks on the Freej Swalieh restaurant on Brompton Road near Knightsbridge, London, in an attempt to trace the suspects.
The substance, thought to be a strong smelling food preservative, was sprayed on the business on February 19 at 12.30am and at 4.10am on February 25.
However the substance was also sprayed at the restaurant on the afternoon of October 30 with people allegedly being seen depositing it in the bathrooms.
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Police have released CCTV of a man in a black jacket spraying a foul smelling substance onto family-run restaurant Freej Swalieh in Kightsbridge while using what appears to be a syringe (pictured on 25 February at 4.10am)
This first incident was treated as a chemical spill and saw police, ambulance and fire crews called to the scene, with 27 people evacuated from neighbouring flats as well as 15 staff who had to leave the restaurant.
During the second attack, witnesses were left with nausea and vomiting and were taken to hospital.
The manager of the Middle Eastern restaurant, who asked two members of staff to sleep at the business this week, told the Evening Standard the spray gave off a ‘really nasty cheesy smell’.
He said: ‘We are worried there is a vendetta against us.’
Detectives would also like to speak to this man (pictured on 30 October) about the first time a bad smelling substance was sprayed onto the business. During this incident it was treated as a treated as a chemical spill and fire, police and ambulance services attended the scene
Samuel Di Francesco, general manager of Caffe Concerto which is nearby on the street, said: ‘The second time someone had sprayed the substance through their window and we could not open our business for three hours.’
Detective Constable Danielle Sapsford said: ‘Although no serious harm has come to anyone, a number of people suffering with nausea and vomiting were taken to hospital after the incident on February 19.
‘We are not in a position to completely determine motive at this stage. It does however appear that each incident has been targeted, and whoever is behind them must be aware of the damage they have caused to this family-run business.
The manager of the restaurant said ‘we are worried there is a vendetta against us’ after the third attack happened last week. Pictured is another man police would like to speak too
‘This has caused great distress to the owner and we want to bring this to an end. The most recent incident took place on a day when the owners expected the restaurant to be very busy.’
CCTV of the most recent incident shows a man in a dark coat with the hood up spraying a liquid onto the front of the shop using a large syringe.
Police have also released stills of two men they would like to speak to in connection with the incident in October.
Anyone with information can call DC Sapsford by dialling 101, quoting CAD1293/25Feb20, or to stay anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.