Acid attacks rise in London - data

Acid attacks have risen in London by 45% in a year, Met Police data revealed.

The force recorded 107 of such attacks in 2022, up from 74 in 2021, a Freedom of Information request stated.

The data, released by the charity Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), found in England and Wales the attacks rose 69% in the same time frame.

The Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alexis Boon said attacks using corrosive substances "devastate lives".

He added they often cause "psychological trauma to survivors that will last a lifetime".

London had the second highest number of recorded attacks in England and Wales in 2022 after Northumbria, ASTI reported.

Within the capital, Newham had the highest number of attacks with eight recorded offences, followed by Haringey with seven and then both Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham with six each.

Jaf Shah, executive director at ASTI, said: "The need for prevention is greater than ever.

"We know that the best way to end acid violence is to prevent it from happening in the first place, by addressing its root causes."

He said the charity was launching a prevention project to educate young people about the risks of acid attacks on the victim and attacker.

It found a single attack costs £63,000 in medical and psychosocial support for the victim, costs to the police and to the judicial and penal systems.

This equated to an economic cost of £6m in London last year, the charity said.

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