Two attacks in which three men were sprayed with a liquid thought to be ammonia outside a nightclub are being treated by police as homophobic crimes.
Police said two men were assaulted near The Lightbox club in Vauxhall, south London, in the early hours of Sunday, following an argument with a group.
A short time later a third victim was also sprayed in the face.
One of the men hurt in the first attack told the Evening Standard he had been warned he might never see again.
'Face was burning'
The man, one of the victims from the first attack, said: "My face was burning so much, I thought it was acid.
"I thought I would never see again and my face was melting.
"He poured every last drop on to us and then turned around and walked away, like it was mission accomplished.
"The chemical burnt the cornea in my left eye and the vision hasn't cleared since. The doctors said it should hopefully return but there is no guarantee."
Police said the comments made by the attacker had led officers to treat the assaults as hate crimes.
Officers believe the same man was responsible for both assaults.
People who do that to other people need serious psychological help. If homosexuality bothers you to the point you will brutally harm someone else it speaks more about your mental stability than the statement you think you are making committing the crime.
I hope the victims have no lasting physical damage. The emotional damage will take years to heal.
Where does this kind of hatred even come from? Like who would sit back and think that this is morally okay? I know worse has happened to LGBT people, but this is 2014... Things need to change.
I feel so bad for the guy who might lose his right eye sight! Why are people so hateful? Why can't we just accept each other and live in peace. I seriously sometimes wish I never was gay because stuff like this scares me. My dad is from eastern europe and people there are definitely not her for gay people.
Haven't been to Vauxhall in ages. Vauxhall's full of gays, especially on a Sunday morning. This attacker was definitely looking for trouble as he was seen in Leicester Square (near Soho) and outside Fire.
Those guys were probably on their way to Area before this sicko ruined their night / lives.
My dad is from eastern europe and people there are definitely not her for gay people.
