London alone saw more than 450 acid attacks last year - with more around UK

Experts say the true scale of the problem could be much higher than that

Police have said victims are reluctant to come forward over fear of reprisals

Campaigners have called for tougher restrictions on youngsters buying acid

The number of acid attacks taking place in Britain is soaring, with school children as young as 13 using corrosive substances as weapons.

Crime statistics show that there was more than 450 acid attacks in London alone last year, with the number of attacks in the capital more than doubling since 2014.

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But experts say the real figure is much higher, with the true scale of the problem hidden because people are afraid to come forward.

Model Katie Piper is one of the most high-profile victims of acid attacks. But figures show the number of such attacks has soared since her tragic incident in 2008

She has since campaigned for victims

Jaf Shah, of the Acid Survivors' Trust International, told The Sun: 'Per head of population, the UK has more male-on-male acid attacks than an other country in the world. The numbers may be even higher than we think.'

It comes after Assistant chief constable Rachel Kearton, the National Police Chiefs Council spokesperson on corrosive attacks, said many victims are staying silent.

She said: 'I do fear that this is a hidden crime and that some of the victims are in fear of reprisal and don't come forward.'

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It is believed criminal gang members are carrying acid in drinks bottles because they are less likely to get caught than if they carry a knife or gun.

Schoolchildren as young as 13 have also told how 'squirting' rivals with acid is easier than trying to stab or fight them.

The figures will add to calls to ban the sale of corrosive substances to youngsters.

The issue has come under the spotlight after the attack on clubbers at Mangle nightclub

Naomi Oni spoke out about the lack of support for victims after she was attacked in 2012

Naomi Oni spoke out about the lack of support for victims after she was attacked in 2012

Shops currently have to report children or teenagers acting suspiciously when they buy acid or strong household cleaners, but there is no age restriction on its sale.

The issue first came to widespread public attention when model Katie Piper was attacked with sulphuric acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch in 2008.

Ms Piper has since led campaigns to raise awareness of the problem, founding her own charity to help people living with burns and scars and releasing an autobiography about her life entitled Beautiful.

Another high-profile victim of the sickening weapon was Naomi Oni, who suffered burns to her face and chest in an attack near her east London home in December 2012.

She later hit out at authorities over the lack of support and the 'incompetant' way in which her complaint was handled'.

Adele Bellis spoke of her road to recovery after she lost an ear in an attack in Suffolk in 2014

Victim Adele Bellis, who lost an ear and suffered permanent scarring in the sulphuric acid attack in Suffolk in 2014, also bravely spoke publicly about rebuilding her life after the attack.

The issue has received renewed attention in recent weeks after clubbers were doused with a corrosive substance at Mangle nightclub in Dalston, London, on April 17, leaving two people blind in one eye and 18 others with multiple burns.

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Arthur Collins, the former boyfriend of TOWIE star Fern McCann, has since appeared in court, alongside with another man, Andre Phoenix.