Herts acid attack figures revealed as hunt continues for London attacker

AS THE hunt continues for a suspect in connection with an acid attack in London, Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has revealed there were two acid attacks in Hertfordshire last year.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Jon Hale had asked about acid attacks, amid reports that there has been an increase in the number of them nationwide.

But – speaking at a meeting of the county council’s public health and community safety cabinet panel – Mr Lloyd said they were fortunate not to have seen an upward trend in Hertfordshire.

He told councillors that in the last year there had been two ‘actual’ acid attacks in Hertfordshire – with a further three further accounts of alleged possession.

He said there were six further recorded uses of pepper spray, which is not a corrosive liquid but causes temporary pain and so is recorded.

“We are fortunate not to have seen an upward trend in recent years,” he said. “In 21/22 there were 12 such offences and in 22/23 there were nine.”

Conservative Cllr Sunny Thusu – who is a surgeon and a member of the National Panel for Facial Injuries – said that the highest recorded number of acid attacks in England was in 2017 and was in excess of 900.

He said that by 2022 that number had come down to around 421 – but had gone up in 2023, to 710.

He also reported to the panel that more than half of these attacks are reported in the North West of England.

And he reassured councillors, “It is exceedingly rare.”