Huntingdon train stabbing: More than 30,000 signatures on petition to legalise carrying pepper spray
More than 30,000 people have signed a petition demanding the right to carry pepper spray in the aftermath of the Huntingdon train stabbing.
A petition for "personal defence" sprays to be legalised is approaching 33,000 signatures as backers say they feel "powerless" to stop violent attackers.
Eleven people were hospitalised after being stabbed on a train from Doncaster to London King's Cross last Saturday evening.
Pepper spray, which is used by police to restrain people and control crowds, is a prohibited weapon in the UK.
Alex Asprey from Wolverhampton, who launched the petition on Change.org, said legalising the spray would help women who currently feel "powerless".
He said: "Passengers were trapped in the carriage with nowhere to run and nothing to defend themselves with.
"In moments like that, people are completely powerless, and it shouldn’t have to be that way."
The attack happened just after the LNER service had passed Peterborough before being diverted to Huntingdon.
Anthony Williams, 32, of Langford Road, Peterborough was later charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and another of possessing a bladed article.
Cambridge Police believe Williams could be linked to three further knife incidents in Peterborough in the 24 hours leading up to the train attack.
Writing on the petition, Alex added: "Women’s safety must come first.
"Every day in the UK, women travel alone, walk home at night or finish late shifts knowing that violent crime is rising.
"The Office for National Statistics reports that more than two out of three victims of domestic abuse related crimes are women, and around 85,000 women experience rape or serious sexual assault each year.
"These numbers aren’t going down.
"In many of these cases, a simple, legal, non-lethal spray could have bought precious seconds to escape or call for help.
"General public safety must come second, because violence isn’t limited to one group.
"Knife and violent crime have both increased in the last year, and attacks like the one on the train show that danger can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time.
"We’re asking the UK Government to let responsible adults legally carry regulated personal defence sprays, like low strength pepper sprays under strict rules for sale, age, and use.
"Other countries already do this safely. We can too.
"This isn’t about encouraging violence.
"It’s about giving people, especially women, a chance to protect themselves when the police can’t be there in time.
"It’s about helping people feel safe enough to walk their high street at any hour, to go out, shop locally, meet friends, and bring life back to town centres without fear.
"When people feel safe and secure, communities thrive."