Man arrested after girl seriously injured in suspected acid attack outside school in London

Detectives investigating a suspected acid attack outside a school in west London have made an arrest.

Officers on patrol were flagged down by staff at a school in Alfred Road after a substance was allegedly thrown at two children and a staff member.

A 14-year-old girl was left with potentially life-changing injuries.

A boy, aged 16, and a 27-year-old woman were also injured in the attack which happened at around 4.40pm on Monday.

A substance, believed to be acidic, was thrown at them outside Westminster Academy.

An investigation was launched and on Thursday, a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, the Metropolitan Police said.

He was taken to a central London police station and remains in custody.

Detective Superintendent Scott Ware said: “The investigation team has been working tirelessly to piece together the events in which two young victims, aged 16 and 14, were approached outside the school by a lone man who threw a substance at them before fleeing.

“We launched an urgent manhunt to identify and arrest the man responsible for this horrific attack. I am pleased to confirm a man was arrested in the early hours of this morning in connection with the incident.

“The 14-year-old girl sustained serious injuries and has returned to hospital having been briefly discharged by doctors. It may still be some time before we know the true extent of how serious her injuries are, but at this time they are being treated as potentially life-changing.

“The 16-year-old boy has now been discharged by the hospital and fortunately, his injuries are not as severe as the girl’s.

“A member of staff from the school also sustained injuries as she rushed to the youngsters to provide first aid to them.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.