Police in London now have 1,000 special kits to deal with acid attacks. The number of acid attacks in London is increasing. Two weeks ago, criminals sprayed acid in the faces of people to take their motorbikes. There were five different attacks on one night. The number of crimes involving acid has more than doubled in London in three years. A plastic surgeon said the number of patients he treats for acid attacks has reached "epidemic" levels. He said there had been an "explosion" of cases involving acid since the start of last year.

Police cars will now carry the acid attack response kits. The kits have protective clothing and five-litre bottles of water. Police officers can give immediate treatment to victims. The rise in acid attacks could be because of a crackdown on knives and guns. Street gangs are now using acid instead because it is easy to buy and easy to hide. A police spokesman spoke about the acid attacks. He said: "These are life-changing injuries." He added: "We are stepping up our response to this crime and we are looking for a safer way to identify some of the substances on the streets."