Witnesses said car run off the road before corrosive substance was thrown

Two men suffering from burns were rushed to hospital last night in a suspected acid attack in East London.

Police were called to Cricketfield Road near Hackney Downs at 7.21pm following reports of a corrosive substance being thrown at an individual.

Witnesses said that a car chase had taken place just before the attack, with one vehicle being driven off the road into a wall.

They then saw someone throwing the corrosive substance over the two men.

Horrific footage shows the pair being doused in buckets of water by onlookers trying to wash the acid off their bodies.

One of the victims sits on the floor as a man pours water over him to stop his leg from being savaged by burns

The men were both taken to hospital with burns as police searched the surrounding area.

No arrests have been made.

A spokesperson for Met police said: 'Police were called at 7.21pm on Friday, 21 June to reports of a corrosive substance attack at Cricketfield Road, E5.

'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended. At the scene two males, aged 20s, were found suffering from substance burns.

Shocking pictures showed pedestrians running to the two victims to douse them in water. They were both taken to hospital where their conditions have been deemed non-life threatening

Police were called to Cricketfield Road near Hackney Downs at 7.21pm following reports of a corrosive substance being thrown at an individual

'Both injured males were taken to east London hospitals where their condition was assessed as non-life threatening.

The other victim is seen sitting on the kerb of the pavement being attended to by a passerby

'Officers from Hackney are investigating. No arrests have been made.'

The UK has one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world, according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).

The number of recorded acid attack incidents has almost trebled from 228 in 2012 to 601 attacks in 2016.

London has become a hot spot for the liquid weapon, accounting for more than half of the total incidents.

Just hours earlier two thugs dressed in burkas chucked acid at a market trade's face in Walthamstow.

The victim, aged around 45, was seen screaming as he ran into a nearby shop with his face in his hands while desperately appealing for help.

After he yelled that 'someone has poured acid on my face', staff rushed to his aid and doused his face with water and a customer called an ambulance.

The victim (pictured), aged around 45, was thought to be setting up his stall at Walthamstow Market when supposed skirt-wearing attackers tapped him on the shoulder before hurling the corrosive liquid

Police have cordoned off the area where two men dressed as women are reported to have hurled corrosive liquid in a market trader's face

Bystanders said the attackers ran off and escaped in a waiting getaway car at around 6.40am.

A police spokesperson said: 'The man was taken to an east London hospital for treatment; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.'

Anyone with information relating to Friday's acid attack is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD7518/21JUN or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.