SIX PEOPLE were reported to have been injured in Stratford on Saturday evening in series of acid attacks in and around Stratford shopping mall, Tube and bus station and the surrounding area. The attacks are thought to have been carried out by a group of young men.
Police were first alerted at 8pm on Saturday to reports that there had been an argument on the street, after which acid was being sprayed on people. Witnesses confirmed that one of the victims was a homeless man. One victim ran into the toilets in a fast food shop and doused his eyes and face with water. Another was seen being given medical assistance in the Tube station.
The victims appear to have been spread far apart, as if the gang of young men had decided to go on the rampage and attack at random. Some of the victims were on their own, while others were singled out from among a group of friends.
Paul Gibson, Assistant Director of Operations for the London Ambulance Service, confirmed that the Service had sent a number of units to Stratford. Staff had treated at least five patients at the scene and at least three had been taken to hospital. The Fire Brigade were also called to the scene.
The Metropolitan Police made one arrest on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and were searching for other suspects in the immediate area. The police also cordoned off parts of the area. They were treating the attack as a criminal matter and not as a terrorist attack. Two hours after the attack they issued a statement saying that the injuries incurred by the victims were thought not to be life threatening or life changing.
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