TWO teenagers from Barnes suffered serious burns after three youths sprayed them with acid.

On Tuesday September 7 at about 6pm the first victim, a white unemployed 17-year-old, was at Verdun Road when the three males called at his house. He realised that he was going to be assaulted and started to run off but was sprayed with acid as he tried to get away.

Realising he had been hit with acid he went to Charing Cross Hospital after being treated by the London Ambulance Service at the scene.

The teenager suffered two acid splashes and burns to his left arm.

The second incident happened three minutes later in Nowell Road. The victim was surrounded by the three youths as he was walking along the road.

After an argument, one of the youths sprayed the victim in the face with some sort of acid, possibly similar to battery acid.

It was sprayed from a water bottle - the type used on racing bikes. The youths then made off to Hammersmith Bridge and a member of the public took the victim to hospital.

He was later transferred to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital burns unit with serious acid burns to his face, eyes, chest and back.

At this stage police do not know why these attacks happened and inquiries are ongoing. It is believed that the youths came from Hammersmith Bridge on bikes before the first attack.

The first suspect was described as male, white, 17-years-old, 5ft 10ins tall, with short dark blonde hair and wearing a grey T-shirt. The second was male, black, 5ft 10 ins tall, wearing an all-blue tracksuit with short black hair. The third was also black, 6ft, with short black hair, wearing a grey jumper around his shoulders.

Anyone with information on the youths or the member of the public who took the second victim to hospital should phone PC Kathy Fenwick at Twickenham police station on 8247 7042.