Boy, 16, sprayed in the face with ‘unknown substance’ during attack at home

A 16-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being attacked with a knife and sprayed in the face with an unknown substance.

Police received reports that three males entered a home on Harrow Road in Liverpool and sprayed the victim with the substance.

They also assaulted the underage victim and left him with slash wounds on his head, back and buttocks, police report.

Emergency services attended the scene and the victim was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Detectives are investigating the attack which happened at around 7.30pm on Saturday, December 28. The probe includes house-to-house and CCTV enquiries.

Tests are being carried out to establish what the substance is.

Detective Inspector Michael Fletcher said: ‘An investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances of this incident, but at this early stage we believe it to be a targeted attack. The incident has left a 16-year-old boy in hospital in a critical condition and officers are supporting his family at this time.

‘We understand that the community will be rightly concerned by this incident, but please be assured that we are determined to find the three males involved in this incident. We believe that the suspects were wearing tracksuits, had face coverings and spoke with Liverpool accents.

‘If you have any information about this incident, please come forward as a matter of urgency. If you live in the area or were driving through at the time of the incident, please review your CCTV or dashcam footage to see if you captured anything that could help our enquiries.’