Mystery remains of how burned man was found close to death
Bilel Ayadi seen on CCTV walking along the street the night he was harmed - Credit: Archant
Police are desperately trying to work out how an Algerian man came to be found half naked and close to death with mysterious burns on his body.
Bilel Ayadi - Credit: Archant
Bilel Ayadi, 34, remains in a medically induced coma at a west London hospital after being found with burns to his torso and neck in Woodberry Grove, near Finsbury Park, just after 11pm on Monday March 23.
Mr Ayadi, who had lived in the UK for six years and South Tottenham for the past year and a half, has not been able to provide any information about what happened to him, but his family have now come forward after a police appeal to identify him last week.
His brother, Abderrezak Ayadi, appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
He said: “Bilel is my brother and at this moment he is lying in hospital with terrible injuries. Imagine if this was someone from your family? We just need to find out exactly what happened to him.”
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Mr Ayadi had been suffering from depression recently but police do not believe he had been prescribed any medication.
Officers have scoured CCTV footage and have now established Mr Ayadi was already bare chested at 10.30pm that night as he walked down Broad Lane, South Tottenham, towards Seven Sisters tube station, where he crossed High Road and continued down Seven Sisters Road.
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Mr Ayadi, who is about 5ft 11inches tall and of medium build then turned right into Green Lanes and right again into Woodberry Grove where he was spotted by two security guards who alerted emergency services.
DC Anwen Clissold of Hackney CID who is leading the investigation said: “Bilel would have been very distinctive given that he was bare-chested while walking through north London for two miles.
“It may well be that he was already injured as he made his way through the streets.
“We are still trying to establish what has caused his burns but what we do know is that a young man has sustained some very serious injuries - I need to find out how.”
Officers are still trying to trace a person who is believed to have spoken with him on Seven Sisters Road, opposite the junction with Amhurst Park.
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting CAD6543/29MARCH15.
