Derryck John (pictured), 17, of Thornton Heath, south London, poured acid over six takeaway delivery drivers in a terrifying string of attacks across London last July

The first picture has emerged of a 17-year-old boy who poured acid over six takeaway delivery drivers in a terrifying string of attacks across London, after a judge decided to name him.

Derryck John, who can now be named after Judge Noel Lucas QC lifted reporting restrictions, was 16 when he carried out his terrifying spree across east and north London on July 13 with another individual who has not been identified.

John, from Thornton Heath, south London, sprayed his victims in the face with a highly potent noxious liquid, which police said left one with 'life-changing injuries'.

He carried out the attacks within the space of just 90 minutes, stealing two mopeds and trying to steal four more.

Riders were attacked as they went about their deliveries or waited at traffic lights and one victim was heard 'screaming in agony' after suffering catastrophic injuries when doused with flesh-burning liquid.

After attacking the six men aged from 24 to 52 between 9.30pm and 11.37pm, John was arrested at 3am on July 14.

Social media footage from the scene of one of the attacks shows people trying to help one victim by dousing him with water

A shocking picture captured at the scene of one of the attacks at the Hackney Road junction with Queensbridge Road shows a police cordon and a dozen food delivery drivers who rushed to the aid of a victim

Judge Noel Lucas QC has allowed the teenager to be named. He was also responsible for handing ex-Towie star Ferne McCann's ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins 20 years in prison after maiming 22 people by hurling corrosive liquid on them at an east London nightclub

John's acid rampage took him from Stratford, east London, to Haggerston, Islington, Shoreditch, Stoke Newington and Hackney.

Horrified detectives said it 'beggared belief' that John could have attacked all six men in such a short time.

DS James Leeks from the Met Police's Hackney CID added: 'Derryck John did not think twice about using a life changing and even potentially life-threatening substance against those who resisted his robbery attempts.

'It beggars belief that anyone would be prepared to scar someone for life and leave them to live with life-changing injuries for the sake of a phone or a moped.'

RISE IN ACID ATTACKS Assaults using acid have more than doubled in England since 2012 - up from 183 five years ago to 504 in the year to March 2017. The majority have been in east London. There were more than 1,800 reports of acid used in murders, robberies and rapes since 2010. In 2016 acid was used in 454 crimes, up from 261 the previous year, with almost a third of the attacks carried out in the borough of Newham in east London, the figures show. Advertisement

Judge Lucas, who decided to lift reporting restrictions that usually protect young offenders' identities, was also responsible for handing ex-Towie star Ferne McCann's ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins 20 years in prison after he maimed 22 people by hurling corrosive liquid on them at an east London nightclub.

Sentencing the 25-year-old, he branded him a 'calculated liar' and slammed him for not showing 'the slightest remorse'.

At Wood Green Crown Court yesterday John pleaded guilty to six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent to 'disable, burn, maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm', two counts of robbery and four counts of attempted robbery.

As he pleaded guilty his mother wept and was comforted by a social worker who sat next to her.

After the final plea was entered she got up and left the court room in tears.

John, from Croydon, was remanded in custody until sentencing for Friday, March 9.

He did not enter a plea on a further charge of robbery on June 25. The count will be dealt with at sentencing on March 9.

It has now emerged that John was on bail at the time of the attack, wanted on suspicion of six further offences, including theft and possession of drugs.

He had also already been convicted of arson and was given a nine-month referral order on January 20, 2016.

Jabed Hussain, 32, said he was on his way home in east London when the moped rider pulled up next to him at the traffic lights and doused him with acid

Emergency services at the scene of one of the attacks in London in July

Another unidentified person is listed on the indictment as also having been involved in the attacks.

No further action was taken against a 15-year-old boy who was also arrested in relation to the attacks on July 14.

Prosecutor Saira Nisarl told Stratford Youth Court, when the teen appeared for committal, that he was charged with another robbery which was 'similar' to the string of acid attacks, but a different weapon was used.

She said: 'The robbery from June 25 is a similar incident to the current matters.

'We say there is a group of two riders who assault the victim before taking his vehicle.

'The vehicle is then recovered three hours later. We say the defendant's DNA is located on the handle grips of the vehicle. A no comment interview was given.'

BAN ON SELLING ACID TO UNDER-18S The Home Office said Wickes, B&Q, Screwfix, Wilko, The Co-op, Morrisons, Waitrose, Tesco and John Lewis are among the major retailers to have signed up, which will see under-18s unable to buy the following products: :: Products that contain sulphuric acid such as drain cleaners/unblockers :: Products that contain hydrochloric acid (10% and over) such as brick and patio cleaners :: Products that contain sodium hydroxide (12% and over) such as paint strippers But there are questions over how effective any ban would be, given difficulties in policing sales. The products would also still be available to buy online. Advertisement

The prosecutor said: 'He has had previous convictions for arson and that was on January 20, 2016, he was given a referral order for nine months.

'He was on bail at the time of these offences for six offences.'

During the hearing John's defence Amiot Vollenweider requested an indication of possible sentence for the defendant if he was to plead guilty to the 12 counts.

Judge Noel Lucas QC said: 'These are difficult calculations to make, particularly if one is dealing with a young person.'

The defence did ask for details of the sentence handed down to Arthur Collins, former patent of TOWIE star Fearne McCann.

Collins was jailed by the same judge for 20 years last month for a nightclub acid attack on Easter in which scores of club goers were injured.

Prosecutor Benjamin Temple said: 'I would point out the injuries in this case are not in the same league as in that case.'

Judge Lucas QC went though the sentence he gave to Collins and even offered the defence a copy of his sentencing remarks.

Eventually the defendant's basis of plea was read out to the court in which he said: 'I will plead guilty to counts two to 13 inclusive on the basis the acid was thrown to incapacitate the victim. The other male involved was much older than me.

'I really didn't appreciate the damage that would be done. I am terrified of the sentence I will receive.

'I am very sorry for what I have done and I realise I will receive a significant sentence of imprisonment.'

He also said he 'went along' with older man in the attacks.

The substance used is thought to have had a PH of one or two, the court heard.

TIMELINES OF THE ACID ATTACKS This map shows how the teenager targeted six moped riders in the space of just 90 minutes in the harrowing attack across London ATTACK ONE 9.30PM: Victim was chased from Penny Brook Street in Stratford, pursued by John and his accomplice. He eventually managed to lose them ATTACK TWO 10.25PM: Police called by the London Ambulance Service to Hackney Road, E2 to reports of a robbery. A 32-year-old man suffered injuries to his face after the pair threw acid over him and stole his moped. They fled the scene, one on the stolen moped ATTACK THREE 10.49PM: Police were called to St Paul's Road, N1 in Islington, near the border with Hackney. A 44-year-old man riding a moped had acid thrown in his face. The two suspects left the scene empty handed ATTACK FOUR 11.05PM: Police called to Shoreditch High Street, E8. A 52-year-old man had acid thrown in his face, but the pair fled empty handed ATTACK FIVE 11.18PM: Police called to Cazenove Road, N16. A 24-year-old man was attacked in a similar way and nothing was stolen ATTACK SIX 11.37PM: A 33-year-old man was on his moped in Chatsworth Road, E5 in traffic when the pair pulled up alongside him and sprayed a liquid in his face. They stole his moped and made off All of the victims were taken to hospital and police said two were still receiving treatment Advertisement

The prosecutor at the previous hearing said the acid attacks were 'pre-planned'

Judge Noel Lucas QC ordered a probation report and a report on John's dangerousness.

He said: 'The reason I am asking for a dangerousness report is because these were serious offences over a two hour period and it would be wrong of me not to ask probation to make that assessment.'

At the end of the hearing he warned the defendant he faced 'the possibility of quite a long prison sentence'.

He also said this was 'a case where there was a overwhelmingly huge public interest' in the case and the fact John had pleaded guilty and he lifted restrictions on the reporting of his name.

One of the victims Jabed Hussain, 32, said he was on his way home in east London when John pulled up next to him at the traffic lights and doused him with acid.

The liquid was so potent it burnt through his helmet and hoodie, but he was miraculously saved from serious injury by his headgear.

Mr Hussain believes he was 'the lucky one' as he saw other victims where he was treated at the Royal London Hospital with larger severe facial burns.

Judge Noel Lucas QC jailed Arthur Collins (pictured), 25, for 20 years. He was found guilty of five counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and nine counts of actual bodily harm (ABH)

Collins is pictured with his ex-girlfriend, mother-of-one former Towie girl Ferne McCann

The father-of-one described the burns as 'extreme fire on your face' which increased in pain as the acid dried.

The delivery driver of four years said: 'I was lucky because I was wearing a helmet which is totally burnt as was the hoodie I was wearing, the colours are completely different, like it has been exposed to fire.

'I had just finished work and was going home, I was stuck in traffic and I was thinking whether I need to go left or right.

'Then suddenly I felt water on my face and I looked up and there were two boys on a bike.

'My face was burning but nobody opened their windows, I was screaming for help and as the liquid on my face was drying it was getting more and more burnt.

'I opened my helmet, I didn't know what to do, but I knew I needed water.

'One lady asked me what happened and I said that someone had put acid on my face.

'I said I need water on my face, it is burning, she went and got water from Co-Op and others got water too.

'But nobody opened their windows, I didn't know if they were scared, I was right next to the traffic lights.

He added: 'Once the water dries it burns, it felt like biting on my face, I had never felt anything like it before it was like fire on my face, extreme fire.

'The left hand side of my lip is burnt, when I went to hospital my lip was badly swollen but it has gone down a bit now and is a bit better.

'Last night I could not speak properly because of the burn.

'I did not know what to do, I could see the boys were taking my bike but I do not know if that was the reason they attacked me.

Hundreds of deliveroo and Uber eats drivers later staged an impassioned protest outside parliament to demand greater protection, claiming they have been preyed upon by moped thieves

'They were just about to go and they saw me and they came back and went away with my bike.

'The police then arrived and the ambulance and they put three litre bottles of water on my face. '

'But I'm the lucky one, other people who were injured last night their faces were totally burned.

'One man I walked past at the Royal London Hospital had the left hand side of his face all burned.'

Just days after the attack, the father-of-one led a protest of hundreds of UberEats and deliveroo drivers outside Parliament to demand tougher sentences for those behind the recent spate of acid and knife attacks on moped drivers.

He said that while the Prime Minister sleeps at night thousands of drivers are risking their lives running the gauntlet of London's streets just to deliver food.

The driver said: 'I have worked in this job for four years and I have never had any trouble, they had asked for the bike I would have given it, but they wanted to change my identity, they wanted to change my face, they wanted to burn me.

'I was not doing anything against them, I am not a terrorist, I am going to work to earn money to spend on my family.

'I am a normal person, a hard working person but I am not safe in London.

'When my daughter saw my face last night she was screaming and crying, she recognised me but she was looking at me in a different way.

'I am scared and my family are really scared, I am scared to go to work tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, it could happen again.

'I am scared to go out with my family, even if I open my window they could try again.'

Some parts of north and east London have become no-go zones with drivers refusing to deliver orders after 8pm because they are so scared of attack.

He said the government must step up to the plate and put real resources behind tackling the growing problem.

The shocking attack in July came after a spate of acid attacks across Britain, including one on a 21-year-old model who was left with horrific burns to her face.

Commenting on his conviction, DS James Leeks added: 'Acid attacks ruin lives and have no place in our society.

'We are working hard to keep the public safe and make the streets hostile territory for criminals who steal scooters and use them to snatch valuables from members of the public.

'We have a particular focus on the small number of criminals prepared to use corrosive substances to do so.

'If someone is in fear of being attacked with acid, or knows someone who is going to use it, they need to report it to police or confidentially through Crimestoppers.

'Your information will be actioned and you will be fully supported.'