The defiant victim of an acid attack held a party to celebrate the launch of her new book about her battle against domestic abuse.

Adele Bellis was left scarred for life after her controlling ex-boyfriend Anthony Riley paid accomplice Jason Harrison to throw acid in her face at a Pakefield bus stop in August 2014.

The incident left her with severe burns down the side of her face and body, left her partially bald and caused her to lose an ear.

But after two years of undergoing surgery and treatment, the 24-year-old has fought back to write a new autobiography to tell the story of how she was in an increasingly abusive relationship for six years - with the aim of helping other women recognise the early signs of domestic abuse.

Brave, published by HarperCollins, hit the bookshelves on Thursday (September 22), with a party to launch the book held at the Hotel Victoria, in Kirkley, on Saturday from 8pm.

Friends who had known Miss Bellis throughout her life queued up to get signed copies of the book, with copies running out within half an hour.

Miss Bellis said of the book: 'If women read the book and recognise any signs of what's happened to me at the early stages in their own relationship, they really need to get out.

'The chapter titles are designed to help women recognise the danger signs. I know better than anyone it's not easy to leave but the alternative of staying is so much worse.

'The acid attack on me shows what can happen if you become trapped in a controlling relationship.

'I want women to look at my scars and realise they need to get out of unhealthy relationships before it's too late.'

In another fact of defiance, a poster of the book is due to be launched at the bus stop where the attack took place in London Road South, Pakefield.

'I wanted the advert at the bus stop where the attack took place to prove to everyone that I would not be broken by what happened,' Miss Bellis said.

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