Teen arrested after five acid attacks in 90 minutes

Photograph: Ray Forster

A teenager has been arrested after acid was thrown in people’s faces in five attacks across east London last night.

The incidents, which police are treating as “linked”, happened in the space of 90 minutes across Hackney, Stoke Newington and Islington.

Officers were called out to a robbery on Hackney Road at 10.30pm, where they found a 32-year-old man with facial injuries.

The man had been on a moped when two males on another moped pulled up alongside him. They threw acid in his face before one of the men made off on his vehicle.

Two males are then reported to have thrown acid in a man’s face on Shoreditch High Street at 11.05pm.

Around 15 minutes later, police were called to Cazenove Road in Stoke Newington following reports of another robbery. They arrived to find a man in his mid-20s suffering from “life-changing” injuries after having a corrosive substance thrown in his face.

A fourth incident took place at 11.37pm on Chatsworth Road in Lower Clapton. A man told police his moped had been stolen by two males, also on a moped, who had sprayed liquid at him.

Officers were then made aware of another attack that was said to have taken place in Islington at 10.49pm, in which two males on a moped reportedly threw acid at a man on Upper Street.

Other than the man in Stoke Newington, none of the victims in Hackney are thought to have life-changing injuries. Police are still waiting for an update on the condition of the man attacked in Islington.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery. He is in custody at an east London police station.

Officers have appealed for witnesses and Hackney police continue to investigate.

Anyone with information or in possession of footage of these incidents should contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC.

To remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

More to follow.