Fulham Man Charged with Contaminating Supermarket Food
Leoaai Elghareeb believed at this stage to have been acting alone
The Little Waitrose on Fulham Palace Road. Picture: Google Streetview
A 37-year-old man from Fulham has been charged in connection with the suspected contamination food at a number of local supermarkets.
Leoaai Elghareeb of Crabtree Lane is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 27 August. The charges relate to incidents at supermarkets on Fulham Palace Road, on Wednesday, 25 August.
A man with the same name and address is listed as a director of Opus Legal Contractors Ltd and described as a solicitor in documents held at Companies House.
The police were called at around 7.35pm on Wednesday, 25 August to reports of a man shouting abuse at people in the street. The same man is reported to have gone into three supermarkets on Fulham Palace Road and injected an unknown substance into a number of food and non-food products in the three stores near to Charing Cross Hospital, specifically:
• Little Waitrose, 201-207 Fulham Palace Road
• Sainsbury's Local, 179-183 Fulham Palace Road
• Tesco Express, 168-188 Fulham Place Road
A man was arrested at the scene and taken to a central London police station where he remains in custody.
At this time, the supermarkets are closed and crime scenes remain in place while officers conduct their enquiries.
Detective Chief Superintendent Owain Richards, in charge of policing in Hammersmith and Fulham, said, “I acknowledge the public concern around this incident. Investigations are under way to understand what items have been contaminated, but we now know this includes food and non-food items.
“Enquiries are also ongoing to identify what the items have been contaminated with and this is subject to further forensic examination. We would ask people not to speculate until we have these results.
“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that the suspect has been working as part of a group but detectives are keeping an open mind around the motive for these events.
“I would like to reassure members of the public that the Met is working closely with our partners at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, as well as other authorities, as we pursue all lines of inquiry. This is a multi-agency response and we are also working with the supermarket branches that have been affected.
“We have not had further reports of the type of incidents brought to our attention and we are continuing to work on establishing the timeline of this man’s movements and the wider circumstances of these events.”
A spokesperson from Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said, “This is a worrying incident and we’re working with the Metropolitan Police and Public Health England to examine any risks to the public or staff at the supermarkets. Currently, these risks are thought to be low.
“However, shoppers are advised to bin anything bought after 6pm on the evening of Wednesday, 25 August from Little Waitrose, Sainsbury’s Local and Tesco Express near Charing Cross Hospital in Fulham Palace Road SW6.
“If you suspect any of the items purchased may be contaminated, please keep hold of these items and contact the police via the non-emergency 101 referencing CAD 6341/25AUG.
“We have asked the three retailers to discard items in their shops and undertake a deep clean of their premises as an added precaution.”
If you find a foreign object in any item purchased from these supermarkets, keep the item and packaging and call police via 101 quoting reference Cad 6341/25AUG. If you have any health concerns please contact your GP - concerns or questions for the council, please contact Hammersmith and Fulham’s Environmental Health team via foodandsafety@lbhf.gov.uk.
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August 27, 2021