Increases in the use of corrosive substances to commit acts of violence

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on Violence and Public Protection, Deputy Chief Constable Andy Cooke said:

“The use of corrosive substances to commit acts of violence is something that we are seeing more of both in the UK and globally. This type of offence is extreme and generally a very personalised crime with the aim being to cause lasting physical and emotional damage to victims.

“It is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances as many are household products, including for example bleach and drain cleaner, and are readily available over the counter at DIY and pharmacy stores, as well as supermarkets.

“In recent years, the police service has made great inroads in tackling violent crime and has consistently worked to significantly enhance its intelligence picture. An improved intelligence picture coupled with consistent risk assessment and offender profiling may give us the opportunity to help reduce this type of offending in the future.

“I am sure that some offences of this type are not reported as a crime to the police. Crimes such as this should not go unreported and I would urge anyone who is a victim of this type of attack to report it so that we can deal with the matter positively and sensitively. “