Paint thinner thrown in man's face after he asks driver to slow down

A man had suspected paint thinner thrown in his face after he shouted at a driver to slow down. It came after a vehicle passed the victim at speed, police have said.

A bottle of the substance was then thrown at the man's face which caused his vision to become blurred. A specialist later examined the bottle and deemed its contents to be paint thinner.

The victim, who is in his 40s, was treated in hospital following the incident on Tuesday, September 24. He has since been discharged but will require a follow-up appointment with an eye specialist.

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Staffordshire Police officers are now appealing for information as they investigate what happened. They especially want to hear from anyone who saw a black Kia Ceed driving at speed near Wood Street in Burton-on-Trent.

A spokesperson for the force said: "We are appealing for information after a man had suspected paint thinner thrown in his face in Burton-on-Trent recently. We were called shortly before 6pm on Tuesday (24 September) to Wood Street following reports of violence.

"Officers attended and the victim, a man in his 40s, said he had shouted at a car, which was passing at speed, telling the driver to slow down, when a bottle of liquid was thrown at his face. The liquid caused irritation to the victim’s eyes and blurred his vision.

"Colleagues from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) first treated the man then the ambulance service took him to hospital for further treatment. He has since been discharged but is due to see an eye specialist in the coming days as a result of the assault.

"Specialists from SFRS took the bottle from the scene and examined the contents, which were later determined to be heptane, a solvent typically found in paint thinner."

They continued: "We are appealing for anyone who saw what happened or who may have relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to get in touch with us. We're particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw a black Kia Ceed driving at speed in the area at the time.

"Anyone with information should contact us on 101 quoting incident number 577 of 24 September. To report anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."