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The Metropolitan Police are renewing their search to find five men who may be responsible for two "abhorrent" homophobic attacks in Lambeth in which victims were doused with a type of "pepper spray".

The two incidents happened in the early hours of Saturday, January 19 on Brixton Road, but police have only now issued CCTV footage of those they want to speak to.

The first assault happened in KFC at around 4am and the second happened 20 minutes later at a bus stop close to the fast food restaurant.

Detectives are treating the two attacks as linked.

At around 4am a "corrosive substance" was used on two men and in a similar incident two men were then sprayed at a bus stop with a type of "pepper spray".

Detectives are also appealing for both victims of the first incident to make themselves known to police to give their account of the assault, and assist with enquiries.

The five suspects that the police wish to speak to are described as the following:

A black male, wearing a black beanie, grey tracksuit, with dark elbow patches and a gillet jacket.

A light-skinned black male with a ‘chin strap’ beard and of a tall muscular build.

A black male who had his hood up, the top had white scribbles on it.

A suspect wearing a dark navy tracksuit with multiple white stripes on the legs.

A black male and of a larger build than the other men, with curly, short hair, green tracksuit trousers and a black puffa-style jacket.

Detective Constable Amy Cross, of Lambeth CID, the lead investigator on this case, said : “This was a completely unprovoked and targeted attack on at least two members of the public, with a further two victims not yet in contact with police.

“Both the attack and the homophobic motivation of this assault are abhorrent, and I appeal to anyone with any information that could assist the investigation to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to conduct Lambeth CID by dialling 101 and quoting reference CAD 1206/19JAN19.