Man hit in the face with ‘fire-bomb’ at busy London park

A man has suffered serious facial injuries after petrol was flung at him and lit in an alleged attack in a country park in south east London. 

The incident happened in broad daylight next to a school in the busy park popular with families and dog walkers. 

Police, fire crews and paramedics were scrambled to South Norwood country park at just before 3pm yesterday.

They found a man, 37, with burns on his face after the fluid was set alight.

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH. 

A dog walker said: ‘I use the park all the time it’s just horrific especially as it’s next to a school and on broad daylight.

‘We are all scared around here now, it’s a very close-knit community.’

A receptionist at the Oasis Academy school next to the park said police had flagged the incident to the headteacher but no pupils had been affected. 

A mother of two who lives opposite the park said: ‘There were police and firefighters on the scene there was a big furore and then police seemed to be searching the area.’

A police statement said: ‘Police were called at 2.45 pm on Thursday, February to reports of an incident involving petrol allegedly being thrown in a man’s face and set alight at Albert Road, South Norwood.

‘Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and supported a 37-year-old man suffering from facial burns.

‘He was taken to hospital where his injuries were deemed non-life threatening.

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He remains in police custody.’

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 2.58pm on Thursday 13 February to reports of an incident at the junction of Ferndale Road and Albert Road, South Norwood.

‘We sent ambulance crews and a clinical team manager to the scene.

‘We treated two people. We took one patient to a local hospital and discharged the other patient at the scene.’

Plain clothes detectives were on the scene hunting for clues. Locals reported a fire had been set in the park at around the time of the incident. 

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