Pepper spray legal or not?

[londonbubble]

As we have had talk on pepper spray on this site. I want to know is it legal in this country to carry or use? I was under the impression it wasn't. A mate of mine used to carry a plastic Jif lemon filled with ammonia and he was told that was illegal. True or False?

Mind you i would feel a bit of a pr#ick holding a bright yellow Jif lemon against an armed antagonist... you can just imagine it stuck in an alleyway .........'In all the excitement of today i can't remember if had five squirts or six' 'do ya feel lucky punk' 'go ahead make my day'
yea right i am sure he will put the sawn off down when he is looking down the pinhole of cocked plastic yellow Jiff lemon

The rules on what you can and can't carry/use and have at home are very confusing. I was told by a cop that i was not supposed to have my large mag lite in my cab within hand reach, True or False?


London bubble

[jvaughan]

If you use pepper spray or even lemon, then you can be done for ABH.

The problem you will have is its not illegal to own, but if you use it on someone, then you have to beable to justify why you had it on you in the first place.

I have a number of knives both in the house, and in the boot of my car. They are diving knives, and I always have dive kit in the car and at home. If however I carried a knife on the bike, I would have a hard time convincing the police / magistrate.

Mag lites are the same ... you can argue that you use it as a torch, and that you have a valid reason to carry it. If you use it as a weapon, can you really justify its use ?

I think it all comes down to carrying with intent to use as a weapon.

[stevie]

Pepper spray / Mace / C.S. are prohibited weapons, possesion is an offence. Any noxious fluid carried without reasonable excuse will also fall into this area.

[GeoBloke]

mmmmm...peppah spray. Great on scrambled eggs.

[z-weiser]

mace/pepper spray cannisters and the like fall under the firearms legislation = trouble!

the maglite thing would probably be legit if you do pickups from houses and need to see the numbers at night etc and essentially if you have somethign with you as a weapon or that is intended to be or modified to be a weapon then it's hot water!

that said i once had a client arrested for the offence of 'going equipped' - the item was a screwdriver - he was released without charge when i pionted out to the police that it was part of a ford toolkit in the back of his old and knackered sierra!! (he had been stopped in the sierra!)

depends on the officer and the circs!

[GeoBloke]

A screwdriver. They busted him for a screwdriver? The mind boggles.

Guess I better take all the lethal weapons out of my @'s toolkit......

[Mabels Old Man]

Bloody hell and I carry a fully loaded Leatherman on the bike

[z-weiser]

yip - bit of over zealous policing!

he was released with no charge - and in fairness the reason that he had been nicked was due to him being a prolific burglar + screwdriver = easy wrong conclusion!

you will be fine with tools for maintenance for the bike i.e. Honda toolkit!

[z-weiser]

Bloody hell and I carry a fully loaded Leatherman on the bike

been some debate on them!

if for bike repairs or carried by normal folk then ok - if carried around town for no real reason or by a hoodie then problem!

[GeoBloke]

It all comes down to what you look like, doesn't it. If the hoodies had any brains(and thankfully, no worries there) they'd dress in chinos and button shirts. They could walk around fully tooled up and no one would look twice.

Still think there should be a government sterilisation program.