A group of men aged between 22 and 41 were due to appear before a UK court on Wednesday to face charges of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, West Mercia Police said.

The authorities believe the men were involved in a suspected acid attack on a 3-year-old child in a shopping mall in Worcester on Saturday. The boy suffered "serious burns to his arm and face" and was hospitalized, police said after the attack.

The child has since been released "but the long-term implications of his injuries are unknown at this time" according to the authorities.

Read more: German energy executive severely injured in acid attack

Three suspects from London

A 39-year-old from Wolverhampton, some 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Worcester was arrested immediately after the attack. Another man from Wolverhampton and three others from London were detained during the week.

In an unusual move for the UK, police said they would not release their names "for legal reasons."

They also gave no details on the motive. However, chief superintendent Mark Travis said they were treating the incident as a "deliberate attack."

The UK has seen a rise in acid attacks in recent years, although it is highly unusual for the victim to be so young. Hundreds of acid attacks were reported last year in London alone.

dj/aw (AFP, Reuters, AP)