In 2008 Katie Piper was a model and budding television presenter, when her boyfriend raped her, then arranged for another man to throw sulphuric acid in her face.

Katie spent seven weeks in hospital, before starting a two year stint where she wore a special plastic pressure mask for 23 hours of every day and underwent numerous skin grafts and other operations.

Not only did the acid destroy her face but other parts of her body too. The attacks left her with a multitude of problems including no hair, no eyebrows, eyelashes that had to be pulled out because they grew back at the wrong angle, the threat of blindness, the inability to eat properly and psychological problems to name just a few.

Beautiful briefly details Katie’s life prior to the attacks, then moves on to talk with astounding honesty about what happened to her, her stays in hospital, the treatments she received and how she has gone on to re-build her life, including starting her own charity, the Katie Piper Foundation (http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/).

No one deserves to go through what Katie went through and although the men who carried out the attacks are now behind bars, Katie lives every day, knowing that one day, they will released. The fact that she has come through the experience and is now getting on with her life and working to make a difference to the lives of other burns victims is quite amazing.

Not an easy read due to the subject matter but having read it, I am left with nothing but admiration for Katie Piper.

Left on the Celebration of Chester statue at Town Hall Square.