Detectives hunt Edinburgh acid attacker's getwaway car

DETECTIVES hunting a brute who hurled acid into the face of a mum yesterday released images of a car they are desperate to trace

The front plate of the car is distinctive as it bears a St Andrews flag with the registration number BN65 LFV. Pic: supplied by police

The thug struck when Teresa McCann answered the door of her Captains Road home in Gracemount last Friday.

It is believed the target of the attack was Teresa’s partner, builder Thomas Tams.

But Teresa, 37, was doused in the corrosive liquid and has lost part of her ear. She will require surgery and skin grafts at St John’s Hospital in Livingston after suffering serious burns to her neck and face.

She said: “My face was literally melting – the pain was indescribable,”

Teresa explained. “I really did think I was going to die. There’s no motive as to why someone has done this.

“Even if I don’t get scarred for life, I’ll always be scarred for life in the brain as I’ll always get flashbacks to what that man’s done.”

Mr Tams has set up a gofundme page in an attempt to raise £20,000 for Teresa in case she needs expensive, private care. By yesterday, it had received £1,085 in donations.

As part of their manhunt, Police Scotland yesterday released images of a car that was used as part of the attack and a cloned number plate that was placed on it. The front plate is distinctive as it bears a St Andrew’s flag with the registration number BN65 LFV.

Officers on the investigation still want information about the brute who attacked Teresa, described as wearing a dark hooded tracksuit.

He fled the scene in Captains Road in a stolen grey Ford Fiesta before turning into Southhouse Broadway towards Burdiehouse Road.

The Ford was seen again at 9.45pm travelling north in Drum Street with its lights off and continued down Gilmerton Road then into Glenallan Drive.

It was then driven into Inch Park where it was set on fire and two men were spotted running from the scene.

The man who put Teresa in hospital is white and in his early twenties, around 5ft 11ins in height with a slim build. He was wearing dark coloured matching tracksuit, a grey hooded top pulled up with an item covering his face, dark gloves and dark trainers with light reflective sections.

Police want to know the movements of the Ford and the two men before and after the Gracemount attack, which is being treated as a serious assault. Detective Inspector Grant Johnston said: “This was a horrendous attack, which we realise has shocked the local community.

“We are extremely grateful for the response with have had to our initial appeal, however we are eager to trace movements of the grey Ford Fiesta, which we believe to have been used as part of the attack.

“I would ask anyone who was in the Burdiehouse or Gilmerton areas on the evening of Friday 9th November, and remembers seeing the grey Ford Fiesta, to get in touch with police as soon as possible to assist our inquiries.”

Anyone with information can contact officers on 101, quoting incident 4125 of 9th November. Alternatively an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.