BRITISH police have arrested two teenagers after five acid attacks in less than 90 minutes across east London left several people with facial burns, including one with horrific injuries.

Two assailants on a moped pulled up alongside a 32-year-old man in the Hackney area of east London at on Thursday night and threw acid in his face before one of the pair made off with the victim’s moped.

In the next hour and a half, three other men across Hackney and one in the neighbouring borough of Islington had corrosive substances hurled at them, police said.

After one of the robberies in Hackney, a man was left with facial injuries described by police as life-changing.

Police said they had arrested a 15-year-old boy in Stoke Newington, northeast London, and a 16-year-old male at a separate address in north London on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the number of acid attacks appeared to have risen in the capital, though they remained relatively rare. “I don’t want people to think that this is happening all over London all of the time - it’s really not, but we are concerned because the numbers appear to be going up,” Dick said.

“Acid attacks are completely barbaric,” she said. “The acid can cause horrendous injuries. The ones last night involved a series of robberies we believe are linked.” The government said it was working with the police to see what more could be done to stop the use of acid for attacks.

“It’s already an offence to carry acid or a corrosive substance to cause harm,” Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokeswoman said.

“We are working with the police to see what more we could do.”

HOW THE ATTACK UNFOLDED

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the first victim was a 32-year-old man riding a moped. He had acid thrown in his face when two men - also on a moped - pulled up alongside him in Hackney at about 10.25pm local time (7.25am AEST). One of the riders then stole the victim’s moped.

The man was taken to an east London hospital. His injuries are not being treated as life threatening or life changing.

A second attack occurred about 30 minutes later in Shorditch High Street. In this case, another person had acid thrown into their face.

Police say the injures are not likely to be life-changing.

Another incident followed 20 minutes later when acid was thrown during a robbery in Cazenove Rd, Stoke Newington.

Officers attended and found a man suffering from facial injuries. He was taken to an east London hospital. His injuries are described as life-changing. A crime scene remains in place.

The fourth incident happened another 20 minutes later, on Chatsworth Rd, Clapton, where another moped rider was attacked as he sat in traffic.

He has been rushed to hospital.

Police said in a statement: “Inquiries are ongoing and officers from Hackney are currently trying to trace the suspects concerned.”

#Clapton Moped driver was sprayed with acid by a thief that tried to steal his moped on Upper Clapton #E5 @MPSHackney @LAS_HART @LAS_JRU pic.twitter.com/7bfsl9kyV6 — London 999 Feed (@999London) July 14, 2017

3 motor bike thefts using Acid in the space of last 2 hours. Mainly uber delivery drivers. @LBC @metpoliceuk @Uber #acidattack #Uber — Mohammed Alam (@Alam0690) July 13, 2017

The victim (no further details) made his way to his home address before contacting police. He was taken to an east London hospital. His injuries are not life threatening and not-life changing.

Following the incidents in Hackney, officers were made aware of a similar attack reported in Islington. At 10.49pm, a man was reported to have had a corrosive substance thrown in his face by two males on a moped in Upper Street junction with Highbury Corner.

He was taken to a north London hospital and we await an update on his condition.

All five incidents are being treated as linked at this time.

LONDON ACID ATTACKS

London has experienced a spate of acid attacks in recent months.

Two Australian sisters were seriously burnt in April after acid was flung into the Mangle nightclub in nearby Dalston.

Isobella Fraser, 22, was in the British capital visiting her sister Prue, 20. Both experienced ‘painful’ burns, though their faces were not touched. Up to 10 other clubbers were injured in the attack.

Last month, a young woman was celebrating her 21st birthday when a man threw acid through the open window of her car. Resham Khan suffered ‘life changing’ burns to her face. Her cousin Jameel Muhktar was hospitalised in a coma.

Any witnesses, 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.