Dramatic photographs show a teenage cyclist being hosed down by firefighters after a suspected acid attack near Kensington Palace this morning.

Emergency services rushed to the scene just after 10am after a 17-year-old boy was sprayed with a substance.

A fireman could be seen rinsing the side of the teenager's face with water while a police officer assisted him, near to the london residence of the Duke And Duchess of Cambridge.   A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said the teenager had been taken to a major trauma unit for treatment. 

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said its officers were called at 10.09am following reports someone had been sprayed with an unknown substance.

The fire and ambulance service rushed to the scene shortly after. 

This incident comes days after prosecutors announced a crackdown on acid attackers following a spate of crimes across London. 

Now thugs found carrying acid face four years in jail while those who throw it could get life behind bars. He said: 'From our side there is certainly a trend of these attacks becoming more prevalent and hopefully by publishing this information it is a useful exercise in show how the Crown will be dealing with offenders.'   

In London alone the number of cases has more than doubled from fewer than 200 in 2014 to 431 last year.

Areas such as the West Midlands and Essex have also seen large rises in acid attacks in recent years as reports have soared from 340 in 2014 to 843. 

In June aspiring model Resham Khan, 21, and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37, both suffered 'life-changing' burns in the attack in Beckton, East London.

While less than a month later five victims were subjected to separate acid attacks across London after a moped gang armed with the dangerous substance struck.