What is sulphuric acid used for and why do I need a licence to buy it?
The substance is very dangerous and if not handled safely can cause serious injury or death
SULPHURIC acid is a highly corrosive substance usually used by farmers.
But in the UK it has been used by psychopathic sadists to inflict agony and disfigurement on their victims which have led to death and life sentences for the evil attackers.
What is sulphuric acid used for?
Sulphuric acid is an extremely dangerous industrial chemical that must be handled with extreme caution.
Even the smallest amount can cause severe burns if it touches your skin.
Breathing in gas released by reactions with other substances can lead to difficulty breathing and a burning in the throat and lungs.
It is a major ingredient in drain cleaners and car batteries.
More commonly it is found in fertilisers.
Why do I need a licence to buy it?
A spate of acid attacks has led the government to move to reclassify sulphuric acid.
Later this year, a licence will be needed to legally buy it above a certain concentration.
A change to the Poisons Act means that from July, members of the public must hold a valid Home Office licence to acquire, possess or use the acid.
MOST READ IN NEWS
How common are acid attacks in Britain?
A Sun investigation revealed that the UK is being hit by an alarming rise in acid attacks - with two victims burned every day.
The increase is being fuelled by gangs - operating mostly with certain communities in London - switching from using knives and guns to try to avoid tougher sentences if caught.
Police figures show that there were 454 victims last year — up from 261 in 2015.
But the true number may be more than 700, according to charity Acid Survivors Trust International.
Courts are now handing down heavier and heavier sentences for acid attackers because of the obvious public revulsion at the sheer evilness of the crime.
Engineer Mark, 29, was blinded and paralysed when his ex-lover Berlinah Wallace hurled concentrated sulphuric acid in his face as he slept in Bristol in 2015.
Judge Mrs Justice Nicola Davies called it "an act of pure evil" as she jailed Wallace for 12 years.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.