Sickeningly, one victim was just two years old when they were doused in acid while in Cumbria two girls, aged four and five, were targeted by a six and nine-year-old.
Shocking figures obtained by the Mirror reveal there were 2,602 acid attacks carried out between January 2015 and May this year.
The number – the equivalent to 15 a week – is compared to just 100 attacks logged between 2007 and 2011.
And the figure could be much higher as four police forces did not respond to requests for data.
London is the worst hit by the violent crime – with almost three quarters of all attacks taking place in the capital.
The number of cases more than doubled from less than 200 in 2014 to 431 in 2016.
Outside of the capital, areas such as the West Midlands and Essex have also seen large rises in recent years as reports soared from 340 in 2014 to 843.
Alarmingly, there has been a surge in children carrying out attacks – with two 11-year-olds charged over attacks on older teens in Hertfordshire.
In Manchester, cops dealt with a “violent offence" where a six-year-old boy had bleach used against him, while two teens aged 14 and 15 were attacked on the train network.
Gwenton Sloley, 34, a community outreach worker and former gang member from Dalston, East London, believes kids are using acid as playground weapons.
He is calling on schools to educate children on the dangers of such attacks, with corrosive substances still readily available in high street shops.
Gwenton said: “It will play on their consciences later.”
The UK has one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world, according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).
ASTI's figures, quoting the police, reveal the number of recorded attacks has increased nearly three-fold from 228 recorded crimes in 2012 to 601 attacks in 2016.
Last year was widely regarded as the worst ever with more than 400 incidents reported in the six months to April 2017 alone.
Unlike in other countries, where 80 per cent of acid attacks are against women, in the UK most victims are men, ASTI says.
The charity blames a lack of tight controls on acid sales or "legislation specific to acid attacks" for the rise in numbers.
A bottle of acid can be bought for just £1 in any DIY store and can be carried around without arousing suspicion.
And a litre of concentrated forms of acid can be purchased for as little as £7 in a hardware shop.
Carrying a gun or a knife is a criminal offence but there is no penalty if you are caught in possession of corrosive chemicals.
And thugs using acid are usually charged with GBH, rather than wounding with intent, so often get much lower sentences.
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