London acid victim speaks of attack

A delivery driver allegedly doused with corrosive liquid during an acid attack spree in London has described how his face felt like it was on fire.

Jabed Hussain, 32, reportedly had his moped stolen when two teenage suspects, who were also riding a moped, sprayed him with liquid in east London on Thursday night.

The two teens, aged 15 and 16, remain in custody on suspicion of robbery and grievous bodily harm after the spate of assaults which took place over a 90-minute period.

Five separate male victims were allegedly targeted by two moped-riding attackers in the north and the east of the capital

Mr Hussain told Sky News he was the victim of the night's first attack at around 10.25pm at the traffic lights on Hackney Road.

He had the corrosive substance thrown in his face before the two men stole the moped he was riding, he told the broadcaster.

"I heard the sound of water, like a glass of water, come on to my face. I didn't realise it was a kind of acid or anything.

"I left my bike, I ran, I don't know how I managed to run. I was just begging for the water because at that time it was burning on my face.

"Then I started screaming. I felt like somebody put fire on my face, on the left-hand side."

He was taken to an east London hospital, and his injuries are not being treated as life-threatening or life-changing.

Chief Inspector Ben Clark, from Hackney Borough, said all of the victims were riding mopeds.

Both UberEats and Deliveroo, two takeaway delivery companies, confirmed one of their employees was among those attacked.

The assaults were branded "truly shocking" by Deliveroo, while UberEats called it "horrific and senseless".

Police said the 15-year-old was arrested at an address in Stoke Newington on Friday morning.

Later the 16-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Friday in Kingsbury Road after he was identified near the scene of the offences by local authority CCTV operators.

The pair are in custody at a north London police station.

Theresa May's spokeswoman said the Prime Minister viewed acid attacks as "horrific".

Commissioner Cressida Dick revealed the Home Office is working with the Met to see if a change in the law is needed.