The man who says he was firebombed after putting up St George’s flags in his hometown feared it was an acid attack and that he was going to be left blind.
Louis Turvey, 33, told police he was struck by the flaming object in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, as he and a group of others were hanging St George’s flags on lampposts and poles just after midnight on Saturday.
Distressing footage showed him looking shocked and standing with blood running down his face and hands as he awaited emergency services.
It was his first time ever putting up flags and he had organised the group online with people he didn’t know.
The attack came on the same weekend rival groups angrily clashed in front of migrant hotels as a wave of protests spread across Britain – with at least 30 demonstrations taking place yesterday.
In his first interview since the terrifying ordeal, former demolition worker Louis told the Daily Mail he thought he had been attacked by acid, having experienced a burning sensation on his face.
‘I feel like I cheated death – if I had been sitting in the car seat and couldn’t get out I could have died,’ he said.
‘I had so much blood running down my face I thought I’d gone blind.
‘I was literally just walking, just finishing all the flags up – it was a wicked night, I was about to get to the car door. As soon as I put my hand on the handle to open it, it just exploded.
‘As soon as it exploded in my face, another one hit my head. I thought it was acid. It was like a burning sensation down my face.’
Louis added: ‘My eyes were burning and I kept wiping it away and it kept coming. It was runny liquid, it was like a shower hose all over my head.
‘My first thought was the attacker was going to come from behind and attack me with machetes. So I ran to my car and couldn’t even see. It was like a horror film. I drove round the corner to get to safety. It was so scary.’
Other people had reportedly told Louis he had done a ‘good job’ in putting up the flags and the attack came out of nowhere.
‘They could have burnt me alive. It could have been even worse. During the panic I might not have been able to get out. It was the maddest experience,’ he said.
Louis, who is currently unemployed due to health reasons, grew up in North West London but has lived in Stevenage for past 17 years.
He said he is now worried he will be targeted by thugs and is anxious about being followed.
‘I’m selling my car because of the attack. I don’t know who it was but I’m worried in case they took my number plate down and will track me,’ he said.
‘I feel like they were watching my car; in my head they’ve taken my number plate and face and I’m scared in case of any other horrible outcome.’
Despite the ordeal, Louis vowed he will never stop putting up flags representing his country in the future.
‘The next day I was happy about the flags as it was a lovely evening, but the attack put a downer on things, but then I felt stronger about it and I thought it won’t stop me from [putting up] flags in the future,’ he said.
‘I feel like a patriot and I love the country I’m in. I feel very passionate about my country.’
Louis claimed that after the incident, police wanted to search his phone. ‘Police wanted to look at my phone and take off me – which I didn’t feel confident about,’ he said.
Louis’ mother Kerry Solez-Turvey said she woke up ‘hysterical’ when she saw her son’s injured face on social media.
‘He didn’t know where it had come from. It was thrown straight over at his car which caught alight,’ she added.
‘One of the bombs hit his head and made it bleed. He was so upset. Initially he thought it was acid and panicked; his car was on fire – it happened so quickly.
‘He’s really worried now – he thinks he’ll be targeted with his face all over social media.’
Describing her terror at seeing her son in such an injured state, Ms Solez-Turvey said: ‘I can’t tell you how scary it was – my legs went when I found out. I couldn’t get hold of him at first.
‘For a mum and sister to look at a face like that – I can’t believe it. After he was doing it peacefully. He’d just been helping my mum from hospital and she’s just had a cancer operation.’
The mother described her son as a ‘happy boy’ and a ‘patriot’ who ‘loves his country’.
‘He’s such a happy boy; all he does is smile. He does nothing but smile – everyone says that,’ she said.
‘His grandmother had just come out from a lung cancer operation at UCLH. He always helps her. He takes her veg off her allotment. She went out helping with his flags as a thanks.
‘He loves his country and is a patriot.
‘He’s never been in trouble before. It’s unfair you can’t put your own flag up in your own country without getting attacked.’
Ms Solez-Turvey said she was upset police allegedly asked to look at Louis’ phone, despite him being the ‘victim’.
‘Someone tried to give him first aid. Police took his car to hospital; [he was] in there most of the night,’ she said.
‘Police wanted to look at his phone.
‘I’m worried why they want to look at his phone – he’s a victim – he’s not the one in trouble.’
Footage from the incident posted on social media by StevenagePatriots shows a bottle ablaze on the ground and close to the rear tyres of a parked car.
The person taking the video can then be heard saying: ‘Putting flags up, got petrol bombed.’ The object is understood to have been a firebomb.
Seconds later, the video shows ‘Louis’ looking shocked and standing with blood running down his face and hands as he awaited emergency services.
The man behind the camera says: ‘Just finished the night, three hours of flagging – and our boy has been petrol bombed.
‘A petrol bomb was thrown at the car, smashed straight onto his head.’
The voice off-camera can then be heard calling those responsible ‘absolute scumbags’ and ‘cowards’.
Louis was helped by paramedics, before being taken off to Lister Hospital in Stevenage for treatment.
Hertfordshire Police confirmed officers were called to reports of a man being assaulted in Fairlands Way, Stevenage, at 12.09am on Saturday, August 23.
Chief Inspector Sarah Gilbertson of Herts Police said: ‘Officers attended and spoke with the victim, a man in his 30s, who had suffered a laceration to his head.
‘He was taken to Lister Hospital in Stevenage for treatment.
‘It appears that the victim was struck by a glass bottle containing a lit rag and sustained a cut to his head.
‘I know that this incident will concern people living locally, but I would like to reassure the community that this was a contained incident.
‘Our investigation continues, and anyone with information is asked to get in touch with police.’