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London police investigate suspected acid attacks

London police investigate suspected acid attacks
Posted at 8:01 PM, Jul 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-25 20:01:23-04

Two young men were taken to an east London hospital Tuesday after a "suspected noxious substance" was thrown at them, Metropolitan Police said.

The two men, believed to be in their teens, flagged officers on the street in Tower Hamlets around 7 p.m., police said.

Police, ambulance and fire services responded to the scene to investigate the suspected acid attack.

"Police in Tower Hamlets are dealing with a suspected noxious substance attack on two males in Roman Road," the statement said.

Their injuries are not life-threatening and no arrests have been made, the statement added.

The incident comes as London grapples with a spike in acid attacks. In 2014, there were 166 incidents reported, followed by 261 in 2015 and 454 in 2016, according to a Metropolitan Police Service report released in March. Police have told CNN that trend has continued this year.

A recent incident in which five men were attacked over 70 minutes has prompted the British government to consider tougher sentences for perpetrators of acid attacks.