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Three men arrested over acid attack on three-year-old boy Three-year-old boy in police protection after Worcester acid attack
(about 3 hours later)
Three men have been arrested in connection with a suspected acid attack on a three-year-old boy in Worcester. A three-year-old boy is under police protection after being deliberately targeted in a suspected acid attack at a store in Worcester.
The suspects, aged 22, 25 and 26, were detained in Walthamstow, east London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, West Mercia police said. Four men aged between 22 and 39 have been arrested over the attack on Saturday afternoon that left the boy with burns to his face and arm.
The boy suffered serious burns to his face and arm in the incident at Home Bargains in Tallow Hill on Saturday afternoon. West Mercia police made it clear they did not believe the attack was linked to a march by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) that was taking place at the same time to protest about a proposed new mosque in the city.
He has since been discharged from hospital, although the long-term implications of his injuries are unknown, the force said. Nor does the force believe the attack was racially motivated or connected to gang violence.
A 39-year-old man from Wolverhampton had been arrested earlier on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and remained in police custody on Sunday over the incident, which occurred at about 2.15pm in the store at the Shrub Hill retail park. At a press conference on Monday, Ch Supt Mark Travis said detectives were keeping an open mind and that the motivation for the attack could be complex.
The toddler was in a pushchair with his family when a corrosive substance was “thrown or sprayed” over him, according to police. Asked in general terms about acid attacks, he said: “This is not the way to resolve issues or disputes in the community.”
The leader of Worcester city council, Marc Bayliss, described the attack as “absolutely pure evil”. The boy suffered burns in the incident at Home Bargains in the Tallow Hill area of Worcester.. He has been discharged from hospital but the long-term implications of his injuries are unknown, police have said.
The MP for Worcester, Robin Walker, said it was “horrific”, and that the “shock will be universal”. Police are continuing to appeal for information over the incident. A 39-year-old man from Wolverhampton was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Police issued stills from CCTV footage of others they wanted to speak to, and on Monday morning revealed that three more men, aged 22, 25 and 26, had been detained in Walthamstow, east London, also on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
DI Tony Garner said: “We’d like to thank everyone who shared our appeal over the weekend and contacted us with information; all of this is helping us to build up a better picture of this incident. We’re continuing to urge anyone else with information to contact us.” The toddler was in a pushchair when a corrosive substance was thrown or sprayed over him, according to police. The substance has yet to be identified but the alleged attack was captured on CCTV.
Anyone with information that could help police should call 101 quoting incident 442s of 21 July 2018. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Travis said: “We have looked at the movement of people in the footage throughout the area and consider this to be a deliberate act against the little boy.
“The substance that was used is an acid or an alkali substance which caused the boy a degree of discomfort. We are finding out the nature of the substance as part of the investigation.
“This has been a shocking incident which we know has caused a great deal of concern in our community. I can reassure people that Worcester remains a safe place to live and work and that such crimes remain thankfully extremely rare in our area.
“There is nothing to suggest that this incident is in any way motivated by race or anything to do with the EDL protest that took place in Worcester this weekend. I think it’s a natural question people would ask but we’re really, really confident that they’re not connected.”
Travis said it was a priority to ensure that the boy and anyone else that might be in danger were protected. The force is refusing to release information on the nationalities or ethnicities of those involved. Specially trained officers are with the boy’s family, and speaking with him directly will be one line of inquiry.
“The family are coming to terms with something that is quite shocking,” he said. “It’s a difficult time for them and we need to make sure that while we work through the investigation they are safe and secure and are allowed to deal with the issues that they are facing.”
Travis would not say if the alleged attackers were known to the boy or family. “We are working through a series of hypotheses.
The leader of Worcester city council, Marc Bayliss, described the attack as “absolutely pure evil”. The MP for Worcester, Robin Walker, said it was “horrific”, and that the “shock would be universal”.
Anyone with information that could help police with their enquiries should call 101 quoting incident 442s of 21 July 2018. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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