Night of horror as acid attackers strike at will
Two teenagers in custody after five moped delivery riders are targeted in apparent theft attempts
THE delivery rider on his moped was stopped at traffic lights on his way home. Suddenly he felt a liquid – he thought at first it was water – trickling down his face. Then followed a terrible stinging sensation.
Jabed Hussain, a father of one, was the first victim in a spate of five acid attacks committed over 72 minutes.
As the horror unfolded, Mr Hussain, a rider for the online delivery firm UBEREATS, could count himself one of the luckier ones. His helmet, he is convinced, saved him from suffering devastating injury.
Last night two children, aged 15 and 16, remained in custody on suspicion of carrying out the terrifying attacks across fashionable East London. Experts fear acid and ammonia have become the latest weapons of choice among street gangs. One report suggested that many delivery riders, fearful of coming under acid attack, are now refusing to work after dark. Another victim worked for Deliveroo.
The fourth victim in Thursday night’s spree – all were riding mopeds – suffered “life-changing” injuries. The extent of the injuries suffered by the others is unclear.
“I was lucky because I was wearing a helmet which is totally burnt, as was the hoodie,” said Mr Hussain, 32, recounting
‘The guy on the moped sat there in shock and then a kid pushed him off and tried to nick his bike’
his ordeal. “They pulled up on my left hand side on a motorbike; then suddenly I felt something wet on my face. I thought it was water. My face was burning. I was screaming for help and as the liquid on my face was drying, it was getting more and more burnt.
“I had never felt anything like it before. It was like fire on my face, extreme fire. I think most of the acid, at least half, hit my helmet and trickled down, but some of it came through to my visor, on to my face and reached my lip.”
A bystander raced into a nearby Coop – police timed the attack at 10.25pm – and poured water on his face. Police and ambulance crews arriving on Hackney Road then poured litre upon litre of water over him, having first pulled off his T-shirt and removed his helmet.
“I’m the lucky one,” said Mr Hussain, “Other people who were injured, their faces were totally burned. One man I walked past at the Royal London Hospital had the left hand side of his face all burned.”
Eyewitnesses heard Mr Hussain’s “piercing screams” as he fought the pain. The attackers stole his moped before speeding off on their motorbikes.
The next incident took place less than 25 minutes later in Islington, over the border from Hackney, where the other attacks occurred. A 44-year-old moped rider was ambushed at St Paul’s Road and Highbury Corner, Islington; the men fleeing empty-handed. Police said yesterday they were still waiting to discover the extent of the victim’s injuries.
Fifteen minutes later, the pair struck again, this time in Shoreditch High Street, a popular night time hangout. Staff in the Drunken Monkey pub were looking out the window when they saw a moped pull up about a yard ahead of a delivery rider. The pillion passenger turned and sprayed what was described as “ammonia-like” liquid in his face. Their 52-year-old victim suffered burns to his face.
A witness, who asked not to be named, said: “The passenger just turned around and sprayed liquid at him. He had his visor down, which helped him. The guy on the moped sat
there in shock and then a kid pushed him off and tried to nick his bike.” But the victim fought back and the acid assailants raced off, again emptyhanded. Staff ran out of the pub and dragged the victim inside. They
smelled ammonia and, thinking quickly, poured vinegar on his face to neutralise the corrosive liquid.
Thirteen minutes later in Cazenove Road at the junction with Upper Clapton Road, a 24-year-old moped rider had a corrosive substance sprayed in his face. His injuries, according to police, are “life-changing”.
A woman, who lives in flats off Upper Clapton Road, who did not want to be named, raced to her window after hearing screams. She heard someone shout: ‘Oi, what do you think you’re doing?’ ”
Again the gang was thwarted in the plan to steal the moped. Twenty minutes later, they struck again and for the final time. On this occasion it was in nearby Chatsworth Road, home to bijou shops and restaurants. A 33-yearold man was robbed of his moped. He went home before calling police and taking himself off to hospital.
A 16-year-old was arrested in Islington in the early hours yesterday after being tracked by CCTV; a 15-year-old was detained in Stoke Newington in Hackney later in the day.
Chief Inspector Ben Clark, from Hackney Borough, said: “These are hideous offences and must have been very frightening for all of the victims.
“Of late we have seen more attacks using corrosive substances in London.
“I would urge businesses and parents to challenge those who they think may be trying to obtain or carry these substances as this could help prevent serious offences and life changing injuries being caused.”