2,006 acid attacks were recorded between January 2016 and May 2018

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The data, which was collected by The Mirror newspaper, comes from 30 UK police forces. Within their jurisdictions 2,006 acid attacks were recorded between January 2016 and May 2018. Victims included four police officers in West Yorkshire, whilst one attack recorded by Devon and Cornwall Police in 2016 also saw the victim raped. A significant majority of attacks took place in London.

Within London, Newham borough in the east recorded the most attacks, with a total of 273. Of the incidents which have taken place in London so far this year, 63 percent were accompanied by another violent crime such as sexual assault or burglary. The average age of victims in London was 30, whilst the average age of suspects was 24-25. According to the Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) the UK has per capita one of the highest rates of acid attack in the world.

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The number of attacks has been increasing rapidly, with 228 recorded incidents in 2012 but 601 in 2016. There is speculation that gangs are turning to acid over knives or guns as possession is so hard to monitor. Dr Simon Harding of Middlesex University told The Sun: “Acid was once a weapon of last resort but may now be the first.

“It’s used by gangs, if a business deal goes wrong or someone owes money. People can have a legitimate reason for having acid.” In response 1,000 acid crime response kits have been distributed to London police. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd also announced plans to make it illegal to sell corrosive substances to children.

A significant majority of attacks took place in London