London acid attacks

In north-central London, on the night of July 13, five people were injured, one seriously, when acid was thrown at them by two teenagers on a moped. The attacks appeared to be random and may have been part of attempted robberies. The two teens were arrested the following day.

On July 25, two men were attacked with acid in eastern London. The men were believed to have been targeted. 

London has seen a large spike in attacks using corrosive substances, with 458 being recorded in 2016, almost double the number in 2015. In 2017, alone, as of July 14, 208 crimes involving corrosive substances had been reported, 118 involving robberies and 38 causing serious, permanent injuries, with one fatality. Police suspect that many of the attacks involve gang activity.