NINE assaults involving acid or a corrosive substance have been recorded by Lancashire Police since 2012, new figures show.

The victims were three men and six women and six crimes involved a threat to spray acid so no substance was actually used.

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One incident involved the use of sulphuric acid, another involved the use of ammonia and one crime involved the use of an unknown substance.

The Press Association sent freedom of information requests to every police force in the UK asking how many assaults were recorded involving acid or other corrosive substances since 2012.

Some forces provided details of all violent crime reports mentioning acid or other corrosive substances including threats, while others only revealed details of acid attacks so the responses are not directly comparable.

This week, it was announced the Government was considering measures to tackle the rising number of acid attacks. National figures revealed violent crime involving corrosive liquids had soared by 30 per cent in the past two years.

MPs discussed the issue in Parliament on Thursday as Commons leader Chris Grayling revealed Home Office ministers had been discussing how to tackle the crime.

He said: "It's clearly a matter of great concern because the lasting impact of an acid attack on an individual can be profoundly life-changing and it's something we should always condemn and always try and stop."

Jaf Shah, director of the Acid Survivors Trust International, said: "The British Government needs to look into this subject with far greater seriousness to understand why these attacks are occurring and what can be done to prevent them occurring."