UK

Teenagers arrested after five linked acid attacks in London

One victim left with ‘life-changing’ injuries after being doused with acidon Thursday

Emergency staff respond following an acid attack on the junction of Hackney Road junction with Queensbridge Road, London. Photograph: Reuters

Fri Jul 14 2017 - 19:49

British police arrested two teenagers on Friday after five acid attacks on moped riders in less than 90 minutes across east London left several people with facial burns, including one with horrific injuries.

Two assailants on a moped pulled up alongside a 32-year-old man in the Hackney area of east London on Thursday evening and threw acid in his face before one of the pair made off with the victim’s moped. In the next hour and a half, three other men across Hackney and one in Islington had corrosive substances hurled at them, police said.

Police said they had arrested a 15-year-old boy in Stoke Newington, northeast London, and a 16-year-old male at a separate address in north London on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

After one of the robberies in Hackney, a man was left with facial injuries described by police as life-changing.

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Food delivery companies Deliveroo and UberEATS said two of their couriers had been attacked. “We can confirm that one of the victims of these attacks had been taking food to a Deliveroo customer,” a spokesman said. “We are in touch with the rider and will be providing him with support.”

(– Reuters)

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