A man who reportedly had acid thrown in his face says that he was asked by shopkeepers to immediately pay for the water used to help douse his burning skin.
In a Facebook post from his hospital bed, Mr Glover-Johnson explained how after having the corrosive substance tossed at his face while sitting in his car on the evening of September 30, 2018, his friend Lee ran into a takeaway restaurant named 'Chunky Grill' on the high street of Bloxwich in Walsall looking for assistance. However, staff at the joint allegedly "threw out" Lee and ordered him to pay for water that he'd taken to try and wash the acid from Mr Glover-Johnson's face.
"Chunky Grill in Bloxwich threw me out while my face was burning with acid!! And demanded payment from Lee for the water that was saving me," reads the Facebook post.
"Yes you read it correctly…hopefully whoever did this gets caught. And Chunky Grill owes me an explanation," he added.
READ MORE: 'Pure Evil': Three Men Arrested in UK Over Acid Attack On 3-Year-Old Boy
In a plea for help in finding the attackers, Mr Glover-Johnson implored, "Any witnesses to me being randomly attacked with acid on Bloxwich high street thus (sic) evening, please contact police on 101."
Support for Mr Glover-Johnson came thick and fast following his ordeal.
Glover-Johnson later updated his Facebook post to explain that the owner of the restaurant, Sayed Hashemi, later issued an apology and explanation for the behaviour of staff at the eatery.
Spike in Corrosive Substance Attacks
Unfortunately, Mr Glover-Johnson's is just the latest in an grim litany of acid attacks in the UK.
According to data collected in August 2018 by the UK's Mirror Newspaper taken from over 30 police forces across the country, there were 2,006 acid attacks between January 2016 and May 2018, with a significant number occurring in London.
READ MORE: UK Home Secretary Steps Up Plans to Give Police More Stop & Search Powers
Even more startling, according to the Acid Survivors Trust International, a non-government organisation set up to support the survivors of acid attacks, the UK has per capita one of the highest acid attack rates in the world. According to their statistics, there were 228 documented acid attacks in the country in 2012-13 period, which jumped to a staggering 601 in 2016-17, suggesting a surging trend.
READ MORE: Five Men Charged in 'Absolutely Pure Evil' Acid Attack on British Toddler
Ultimately, law enforcement conclude that the cause of the increase has to do with street gangs turning away from more traditional weapons of choice, such as knives and guns, to acid, because its possession is harder to keep track of.
In July 2018, a 19-year-old teenager, Xeneral Webster, was jailed for 17 years on the charge of manslaughter after industrial strength sulphuric acid in his possession splashed on bystander Joanne Rand's face and body, leading to her death 11 days later. The case is reported to be the first conviction in the UK's history for an acid attack killing.
READ MORE: 'Tragic Example': Teenager Jailed for First UK Acid Attack Killing
Also in 2018, John Tomlin, 25, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after squirting acid through a car window in Beckton, London, at aspiring model, Resham Khan, and her cousin, Jameel Muhktar. Both victims claimed that they did not know Mr Tomlin, in a case described by the judge at the time as "somewhat random." Both suffered life-changing injuries.
