A pregnant woman is recovering after she had bleach thrown at her by someone in a passing car, police said.

The mother-to-be was walking with a man in Manchester when the noxious substance was thrown at them at 8.10pm on Friday.

Both were hit in the eyes but while they suffered "severe discomfort" police believe they suffered no lasting damage.

Minutes after the attack a third person, a man, was also targeted with bleach from a passing silver Ford Fiesta also on the same road - Ashton Old Road in the east of the city.

He was uninjured but his clothes were left stained after the substance struck his back.

Inspector Cherie Dunn, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "I am so thankful that none of the victims of these senseless attacks have been seriously injured.

"We could easily have been dealing with life-changing injuries.

"Not only that, the woman is pregnant - the worst case scenario does not bear thinking about."

Police said that victim reported seeing a third man being egged by someone in the car before it happened.

Inspector Dunn added: "Anyone thinking that throwing bleach at people is funny or that a crime like this does not have consequences couldn't be more wrong.

"The victims here were lucky. Bleach attacks could have had catastrophic consequences."