Teenager attacked with corrosive substance in street suffers ‘life changing’ injuries

Reports of acid attacks in the capital have increased in recent years

A teenager has been left with serious injuries after he was attacked with a "corrosive substance" in northeast London.

The Metropolitan Police was called to reports of a fight on Walnut Road, Waltham Forrest, at around 8.25pm on Saturday.

Officers and paramedics found an 18-year-old man suffering from life-changing injuries at the scene and took him to hospital for treatment.

Detectives believe he had a corrosive substance thrown at him.

Reports of acid attacks in the capital have increased in recent years.

The number of violent corrosive liquid offences surged from 66 in 2012 to 752 in 2018, according to Metropolitan Police figures obtained by the Evening Standard.

There was a sharp rise in attacks in recent years with 616 recorded in 2017, up from 461 the previous year, 348 in 2015, 178 in 2014 and 159 in 2013.

Seventeen of those attacks were carried out on children under 10, the 2012 to 2018 figures also show.

Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area of the attack over the weekend to get in touch with officers.

Detectives would also like to hear from anyone who has dash cam or CCTV/doorbell footage from between 8pm and 9pm.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC.