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Woman suffers serious facial injuries after 'corrosive substance' thrown at her in Birmingham

47-year-old victim attacked by an offender on passing moped or bicycle

Tom Embury-Dennis
Tuesday 24 July 2018 15:36 EDT
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The 47-year-old victim was in Northbrook Street, Ladywood, when she was attacked
The 47-year-old victim was in Northbrook Street, Ladywood, when she was attacked (Google Maps)

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A woman has suffered serious facial injuries after a corrosive substance was thrown at her in Birmingham.

The 47-year-old victim was attacked by an offender on a passing moped or bicycle at about 10am on Tuesday, on Northbrook Street in Ladywood.

Police said the woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries following the "deliberate" attack.

West Midlands Police are appealing to anyone who saw anything or who may have information to contact investigating officers on 101.

The ambulance service said it was called to an address in Astbury Avenue, Smethwick, about two miles from the scene of the attack, at 10.30am.

A spokesperson said: "Crews arrived to find a woman in her 40s, who had suffered serious chemical burns to her face following an attack which is believed to have taken place in the vicinity of Northbrook Street in Ladywood.

"The woman was given pain relief to help ease her discomfort whilst her face was fully irrigated with water to help remove the unknown substance.

"She was then transferred by land ambulance on blue lights to hospital for further specialist burns treatment."

A local resident, Angie Whitehouse, told the BBC: "I [saw] a small ambulance to the left of my house and a large one to the right, and I took no notice and I didn't know what had happened.

"Then a few hours later we had [a] door-to-door PCSO come to the house. She said 'an incident had happened in Birmingham and the lady was OK, but she'd been taken to hospital and she had been down this street to her friends'."

Additional reporting by PA

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