Police have moved to quash rumours of an acid attack in Preston.

Rumours circulating on social media suggested a racially aggravated acid attack had taken place in the Deepdale area on Sunday lunchtime.

Preston Police sent two offices to an incident in the St Thomas’ Road area shortly after mid-day on Sunday (2 July).

They found a car had been damaged on its roof by turps. No one was hurt or near the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Inspector Steve Bradshaw: “We are aware that reports are circulating on social media that there has been a racially motivated attack in Blackburn and Preston.

“It is minor damage to a car involving turps. There are no racial elements.

“The man who owns the vehicle is Romanian but there is nothing to suggest this is a racially motivated incident. We are treating it as criminal damage.

“We ask people exercise caution when sharing or retweeting rumours about incidents which does not come from trusted sources.”

Anyone with information about the criminal damage incident is asked to call police on 101.