TWO acid attacks have taken place in Crewe since 2015, it has been revealed following the rise in these types of horrific assaults in London.

The UK has seen more than 400 acid attacks in the past six months, prompting a change in the law that means someone who is found to have committed such attack, can get a life sentence.

A freedom of information request has revealed that although very rare, Crewe is not spared from the heinous attacks.

It showed that there were nine acid attacks in Cheshire since 2015, with two in Northwich, two in Crewe, five in Widnes and one in Warrington.

Cheshire Police pointed out that the offences in Cheshire were all different to the majority coming out of London, in that each offender was known to the victim.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “Incidents involving corrosive substances are thankfully low in Cheshire, with a total of nine incidents reported to police over the past three years.

“While these figures may be concerning to some people, it’s important that they are put into context. It’s also important that they are not compared to other incidents that have taken place elsewhere in the UK where victims have suffered life-changing injuries after being attacked by unknown suspects with acid.

“In all of the reports received by Cheshire Police the offender was known to the victim; five related to incidents where the victims personal belongings were damaged after being sprayed with cleaning substances, such as bleach.

“The remaining four incidents related to assaults where the victim was sprayed with a cleaning substance, three were domestic incidents and one a neighbour dispute. In all of these cases none of the victims suffered any serious or life-changing injuries.

“While incidents of this nature remain low in Cheshire, we treat all reports extremely seriously. All our officers receive specialist advice and guidance on how to deal with incidents involving corrosive substances.”

St John’s Ambulance has now released some advice to the public on what to do in the event of an acid attack.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said: “Our first aid trainers have reported a rise in the number of acid attack related questions and what steps to take if they witness an attack.”

St John's Ambulance advice

In the event of a chemical burn, like those acid attacks reported in the media, it is vital that bystanders act as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to the victim and minimalise lasting damage. This could mean drowning the affected area with bottled water, if that is all there is to hand, until emergency services arrive.

Chemical burns

  1. Make sure that the area around the casualty is safe. Wear gloves to prevent you coming into contact with the chemical. If the chemical is in powder form, it can be brushed off of the skin.
  2. Flood the burn with water for at least 20 minutes to disperse the chemical and stop the burning. Ensure that the water does not collect underneath the casualty.
  3. Gently remove any contaminated clothing while flooding the injury.
  4. Arrange to send the casualty to hospital. Monitor vital signs, such as breathing, pulse and level of response.

 

Caution

  • Never attempt to neutralise acid or alkali burns unless you are trained to do so
  • Do not delay starting treatment by searching for an antidote

Chemical burn to the eye

  1. Hold the casualty’s affected eye under gently running cold water for at least ten minutes. Irrigate the eyelid thoroughly both inside and out.
  2. Make sure that contaminated water does not splash the uninjured eye
  3. Ask the casualty to hold a clean, non-fluffy pad over the injured eye.
  4. Arrange to send the casualty to hospital.

Caution

  • Do not allow the casualty to touch the injured eye
  • Do not forcibly remove a contact lens