A recent investigation revealed that a 14 year old schoolgirl was able to buy bleach from shops in London, despite the rising number of acid attacks in the city and a collective agreement on prevention of sales of corrosive substances to children. An undercover sting led by Newham Council and the Metropolitan Police this week brought to light how easy it is for a teenage girl to buy bottles of household cleaning bleach from three out of five high street retailers in Newham.
Regulation of sales of corrosive substances is currently under review by the government. Figures released by the Met Police found Newham to have the highest rates of attacks in the UK, following which the London borough had been dubbed the “acid attack capital of Britain”. Retailers in the area are currently being encouraged to sign up to voluntarily self-regulate sales of corrosive substances to minors. 182 retailers in Newham reportedly signed up to a voluntary scheme preventing such sales to those below the age of 21.
Results of the sting has raised an issue and the Newham Council has demanded the government to urgently bring forward legislation to introduce a total ban on the sale of such liquids to children. The Home Office has stated that it was considering responses to its consultation on a proposal to ban sales of corrosive products to under-18s, and creating a new possession offence.
