Victim who lost 90% of his face in acid attack still needs a decade of reconstructive surgery

A father who lost 90% of his face in a 2014 acid attack has been told that he may still need 10 more years of reconstructive surgery.

Andreas Christopheros, 32, was left with life-changing injuries following an attack at his home in Truro, Cornwall, in what was a case of mistaken identity.

His attacker, David Phillips, drove more than 300 miles to exact revenge on someone who had assaulted a member of his family.

However, he mistakenly knocked on Christopheros' door and threw the acid in his face.

Christopheros, 32, lost his eyelids in the attack and suffered severe burns across his entire face.

Speaking to the Sun following confirmation that several chain stores have banned the sale of acids to customers under 18 in a bid to tackle the recent spate of attacks, Christopheros revealed the full consequnces of his recovery.

He said: "I'll certainly be having surgery for the next five to 10 years.

"I'm without eyesight in my left eye and limited in my right and as time goes on, there's potential for me to go completely blind."

He urged the government to impose stricter sentences on anyone found guilty of an acid attack.

"Any person who carried out an acid attack - no matter how severe the injuries are - the attacker should be facing life with a minimum term of 20 years.

"On top of that, one bit of legislation which I'd really love to see pushed through is a decanting legislation - to make it an offence to decant acid from its original, well-labelled bottle into any other receptacle.

"I've always stood by the fact that if someone wants to get their hands on acid they're going to get their hands on acid.

"If people are willing to cross that line, they need to have a sentence [that matches] that crime."

Victoria Atkins, minister for crime, safeguarding and vulnerability, said: "Acid attacks have a devastating impact on their victims, leaving both emotional and physical scars.

"I'm pleased that so many of the UK's major retailers are joining our fight to combat this scourge and signalling they are committed to selling acids responsibly."