14 February 2025 , 20:42
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A man has suffered serious facial injuries after petrol was thrown at him and lit in an alleged attack in a country park in south east London.
The incident happened next to a school in the 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.
Locals have also complained about high levels of anti-social behaviour in a nearby park (Picture: UKNIP)
The attack happened on Albert Road in south Norwood (Picture: UKNIP)
The injuries were deemed non-life threatening (Picture: UKNIP)
‘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.