An acid attack victim has made a direct plea for information from his hospital bed after being left with facial injuries.
Mike Glover-Johnson posted a picture of himself wrapped in a bandage following the incident on High Street in Bloxwich, Walsall, at around 6.50pm on Sunday.
The victim was said to have been in his car at the time when he was approached and had a substance thrown in his face.
In his online post, he wrote: “Any witnesses to me being randomly attacked with acid on Bloxwich high street thus (sic) evening please contact police on 101.
“Thankfully people helped and their quick reactions may have stopped permanent scarring. Thank you Lee Glover-Johnson for being by my side.”
Glover-Johnson also claimed staff at a nearby restaurant the 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.
“Yes you read it correctly... hopefully whoever did this gets caught. And chunky grill owes me and Bloxwich an explanation..”
He later explained he had received an apology from the manager who had “assured me that the staff members that acted inappropriately will be dealt with. Thank you for the apology.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “The investigation is at an early stage, the motive is unknown and police are keeping an open mind.
“A number of enquiries are under way, including a CCTV trawl, officers are also trying to identify what the substance was.”
Police described the attack as an “isolated incident”. One eyewitness said: “I saw the poor man running and screaming for the emergency services.
“There were two young men helping him. They said the man had told them it was acid and they were pouring water over him and the police were pouring water on him too.
“A fire engine was at the scene and a car was cordoned off.”
A statement released by West Midlands Police read: “Police are investigating an incident in which a corrosive substance was thrown at a man on High Street in Bloxwich on September 30.
“The man, who is in his 40s, was sitting in his car at around 6.50pm when he felt something thrown in his face and he has been taken to hospital with injuries to his face.
“The investigation is at an early stage, the motive is unknown and police are keeping an open mind.
“A number of enquiries are underway, including a CCTV trawl, officers are also trying to identify what the substance was.
“At this stage, officers believe this to be an isolated incident.
Police are appealing to anyone who saw anything, or who may have information to contact West Midlands Police on 101, quoting log number 2177 30/9.