LONDON: A Muslim fast food delivery driver has been fighting for life after being attacked with acid here Walthamstow area of east London.
The 32-year-old, Muhammed Nawshad Kamal, may lose his sight in both eyes, The Independent quoting hospital sources said.
Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy after the grievous attack.
Police said that Kamal was approached by two people riding a scooter and tried to snatch his moped. On resistance, they threw acid in Kamal’s face, leaving him fighting for life with terrible eye wounds.
The attack took place on Walpole road at around 6pm in the evening, a police officer said.
Kamal may never see again in life due to serious eye injuries, he added.
Later, delivery drivers staged a protest over lack of protection from acid attacks despite repeated cases in recent months.
Now robbers have started using corrosive substances as an alternate weapon to steal phones from pedestrians, local authorities have warned.
A spate of attacks with corrosive substances has fuelled a rise in violent crime across England and Wales in the past year, with recorded offences up 13 per cent.
The government has responded with stricter controls on the sale of acid and a law making it illegal to carry acid in a public place without a good reason.
According to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Islamophobic attacks have jumped five times since the London Bridge attacks in June this year.