LONDON, (DNA) – Delivery rider Jabed Hussain was waiting at a traffic light one night in east London when two attackers sprayed acid in his face and stole his moped.

It was one of hundreds of attacks in the British capital every year that have prompted government intervention and left the city’s police force asking the public for help to tackle the crime wave. Hussain recalled feeling “burning on my face” during the robbery in Hackney.

“If they want to take my bike, there are a lot of weapons… why (have) they got to choose the weapon of acid?” he told AFP as he returned to the spot where the attack happened. The number of assaults is increasing rapidly.

The British capital saw 454 acid attacks reported last year, up from 261 in 2015 and 166 the year before. Hussain suffers from chest problems after swallowing water which he believes contained traces of the acid, although his helmet protected much of his face and he has no visible scars.