Man Attacked With Chemical In Witham 'Wrongly Targeted'

9 August 2014, 06:20 | Updated: 10 August 2014, 12:29

A man who has suffered "potentially life-changing'' burns after having a chemical thrown in his face was wrongly targeted, police believe.

The 56-year-old was collecting post from the communal entrance to a block of flats in Bramble Road in Witham, Essex, when he was approached by two men who were carrying a liquid chemical in a glass bottle.

After a brief argument the men threw the liquid over the victim and ran off, shortly before 11am yesterday.

Essex Police said they believe the man, who has suffered non-life threatening burns to his face and hands, could have been in the "wrong place at the wrong time''.

Detective Inspector Leighton Hammett said: "The information that we have currently gathered suggests that the victim was not the intended target of this attack.

"Unfortunately he appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The two suspects are described as a white man and a black man and if anyone saw them, either in the area prior to this attack or afterwards, we would urgently like to speak to them.''

The victim is receiving treatment at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.