Jail threat for carrying acid in Britain

People carrying corrosives, such as acids, without good reason, face six months in prison under a package of measures announced Saturday by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

The move followed a spate of acid attacks, particularly in the London area in which people have been scarred for life by having acids thrown into their faces.

London has been named as the hot spot for acid attacks, accounting for more than half of Britain's acid attacks. Figures released by the Metropolitan Police showed the number of acid attacks have more than doubled from less than 200 in 2014 to 431 in 2016.

Prison sentences for those who repeatedly carry corrosive substances without good reason are among a set of new laws aimed at tackling serious violence being proposed, said the Home Office in London.

It would place the onus on the individual caught in possession to explain why they are carrying corrosives, rather than on the police to prove that it was intended to cause injury.

People convicted of this offence for a second time face a mandatory minimum sentence in line with existing knife possession laws.

The Home Office said the proposals are part of consultations on new laws and measures to reduce violent crime in response to recent rises in police-recorded knife and firearm offences and the emergence of attacks using acids and corrosive substances.

Rudd said: "We are taking action to restrict access to offensive weapons and crack down on those who carry acids with the intent to do harm. Acid attacks can devastate lives and leave victims with both emotional and physical scars. We are sending a message that the cowards who use these as weapons will not escape the full force of the law."

Other measures include restricting online sales of knives so they cannot be delivered to a private residential address and must instead be collected at a place where age ID can be checked.