Emergency services descended on a south London road following a suspected acid attack close to a busy Tube station.

A woman in her 20s was sprayed with a noxious substance on Brixton Road, near the underground station, police said.

She is believed to have been travelling on a bus when she was purposefully targeted.

Witnesses reported seeing a woman being hosed down at the side of the road following the incident at around 1.45pm on Tuesday.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “Police were called to Brixton Road, SW9 at 13:45hrs by London Ambulance Service (LAS) on Tuesday, 8 May following reports of a woman being the victim of a suspected noxious substance attack whilst on a bus.

In its latest statement, the Met Police added: "The woman believed to be aged in her twenties was treated at the scene as she got off the bus. She was then taken to a central London hospital for treatment.

"Her condition is not life changing or life threatening. She has no major burns.

"Enquiries continue to trace the single suspect involved, who is now believed to be female. This incident appears to be targeted and not a random attack."

The road was cordoned off at the junction with Electric Avenue while police investigated the incident.

Scores of witnesses took to Twitter to report seeing emergency services swarm the area.

Emma B said: “Wow, apparently there's been an acid attack in Brixton. So many emergency services on the scene.”

Becky Reid added: “So scary that this can happen on our doorstep. Hope they are okay.”

Another person wrote: “What the hell happened in Brixton? there’s police cars everywhere.”

Chris York, senior editor at Huff Post, reports that two women were "fighting on a bus...spilled out onto the street [and] then one pulled a bottle of liquid out and sprayed the other in the face".

It comes after a series of violent crimes on the capital’s streets over the bank holiday weekend.

Three men, aged 17, 22 and 27, were injured after a noxious substance was thrown over them in Dalston in the early hours of Sunday.

Meanwhile Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was gunned down in Kennington less than 24 hours before two other teenage boys - one aged just 13 - were shot in broad daylight in Wealdstone, Harrow.

A 43-year-old man was stabbed following a dispute in Perivale, north-west London.

Anyone with information about the Brixton attack is requested to call police on 101 quoting CAD 4258/8May or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also tweet police via @MetCC.