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| Acid attacks: ministers urged to curb sales amid reports of sixth London victim | Acid attacks: ministers urged to curb sales amid reports of sixth London victim |
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| Pressure is mounting on ministers to take action to curb the rise in acid attacks as one of the victims of a recent spree in London described how his face felt like it was on fire. | Pressure is mounting on ministers to take action to curb the rise in acid attacks as one of the victims of a recent spree in London described how his face felt like it was on fire. |
| Five men were attacked by two people riding mopeds across the north and east of the capital on Thursday night. Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, remain in custody on suspicion of robbery and causing grievous bodily harm. | Five men were attacked by two people riding mopeds across the north and east of the capital on Thursday night. Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, remain in custody on suspicion of robbery and causing grievous bodily harm. |
| On Saturday it emerged that there may have been a sixth acid attack victim. Police were called at around 5pm on Friday to reports of an attempted robbery of a moped in Ballards Road, Dagenham. The victim – a man in his 20s – was approached by two males on a moped who squirted what was described as a “noxious substance” at him. Police said he did not have lasting injuries, and he has been discharged from hospital. | |
| The Home Office is considering imposing tough new restrictions on corrosive substances after a string of acid attacks in London, amid calls from one London MP for more severe sentences for possession of harmful acids. | The Home Office is considering imposing tough new restrictions on corrosive substances after a string of acid attacks in London, amid calls from one London MP for more severe sentences for possession of harmful acids. |
| A victim of one of the Thursday attacks, Jabed Hussain, reportedly had his moped stolen before the two suspects sprayed him with the dangerous liquid. Hussain, 32, an UberEats delivery driver, was on the corner of Queensbridge Road and Hackney Road when the two men on a moped pulled up to his left. | |
| Hussain told the Guardian that the area had been the scene of many knife and other violent attacks on delivery drivers in recent months. “First of all, I didn’t realise it was acid; then it started to burn. I saw they wanted to do it again, so I jumped off my bike and tried to hide from them behind cars,” Hussain said. | Hussain told the Guardian that the area had been the scene of many knife and other violent attacks on delivery drivers in recent months. “First of all, I didn’t realise it was acid; then it started to burn. I saw they wanted to do it again, so I jumped off my bike and tried to hide from them behind cars,” Hussain said. |
| After his moped was stolen, Hussain ran up to cars stopped at the traffic lights, knocked on windows and begged for help. “I was screaming for help and for water. No one was opening their door or window.” | |
| A minicab driver eventually gave Hussain water to ease the burning. Each time he stopped dousing himself, the burning resumed. A passerby bought water at a nearby shop and called an ambulance and Hussain contacted a group of fellow delivery drivers via a WhatsApp group used, in part, to alert one another to attacks. | A minicab driver eventually gave Hussain water to ease the burning. Each time he stopped dousing himself, the burning resumed. A passerby bought water at a nearby shop and called an ambulance and Hussain contacted a group of fellow delivery drivers via a WhatsApp group used, in part, to alert one another to attacks. |
| “As soon as I sent the message on the WhatsApp group, they all came,” Hussain said. | “As soon as I sent the message on the WhatsApp group, they all came,” Hussain said. |
| Video from the scene shows him shirtless and being doused with water by the police, surrounded by delivery drivers. By the time an ambulance arrived, he was shivering with shock. | Video from the scene shows him shirtless and being doused with water by the police, surrounded by delivery drivers. By the time an ambulance arrived, he was shivering with shock. |
| John Moody, a black-cab driver who watched the scene, described seeing him “absolutely petrified and beyond shock, the poor boy”. | John Moody, a black-cab driver who watched the scene, described seeing him “absolutely petrified and beyond shock, the poor boy”. |
| Hussain was taken to an east London hospital, and his injuries are not being treated as life-threatening or life-changing. | Hussain was taken to an east London hospital, and his injuries are not being treated as life-threatening or life-changing. |
| Two of the assaults saw mopeds stolen, while another victim had “life-changing” injuries inflicted after being sprayed. | Two of the assaults saw mopeds stolen, while another victim had “life-changing” injuries inflicted after being sprayed. |
| Police said the 15-year-old was arrested at an address in Stoke Newington on Friday morning. Later the 16-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Friday in Kingsbury Road after he was identified near the scene of the offences by local authority CCTV operators. The pair are in custody at a north London police station. | Police said the 15-year-old was arrested at an address in Stoke Newington on Friday morning. Later the 16-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Friday in Kingsbury Road after he was identified near the scene of the offences by local authority CCTV operators. The pair are in custody at a north London police station. |
| The Labour MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, said carrying acid should be made an offence and suggested licensing the purchase of sulphuric acid, which he likened to carrying a knife. | The Labour MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, said carrying acid should be made an offence and suggested licensing the purchase of sulphuric acid, which he likened to carrying a knife. |
| However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has said it is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances because many are household products, such as bleach and drain cleaner, available over the counter. | However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has said it is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances because many are household products, such as bleach and drain cleaner, available over the counter. |
| The latest series of attacks came after data seen by the Guardian revealed that the number of crimes using acid or other “noxious substances” more than doubled in London over the last three years. There were 455 crimes in London last year where a corrosive substance was used or threatened to be used; a quarter were street robberies. | The latest series of attacks came after data seen by the Guardian revealed that the number of crimes using acid or other “noxious substances” more than doubled in London over the last three years. There were 455 crimes in London last year where a corrosive substance was used or threatened to be used; a quarter were street robberies. |
| Thursday’s attacks came days after John Tomlin, 25, appeared in court accused of throwing acid at aspiring model Resham Khan, 21 and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37. They were left with life-changing injuries after the attack on Khan’s 21st birthday in Beckton, east London. | Thursday’s attacks came days after John Tomlin, 25, appeared in court accused of throwing acid at aspiring model Resham Khan, 21 and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37. They were left with life-changing injuries after the attack on Khan’s 21st birthday in Beckton, east London. |