Leading stores are to voluntarily ban sales of products containing acid to under 18s – but it will continue to be available online from many sources.
The move comes amid a spike in acid attacks.
It was presented by the Home Office as a major breakthrough as ministers draw up a formal legal ban that would apply across retailers in the high street and online.
However, there are serious questions over how effective voluntary or legal bans will be, given the difficulty of policing sales.
Leading stores – including Waitrose – are to voluntarily ban sales of products containing acid to under 18s – but it will continue to be available online from many sources
Legal bans are already in place on the sales of knives to under 18s, but studies by trading standards show that many retailers are failing to abide by this.
At the same time, the ban has failed to stem an alarming increase in knife attacks and murders involving teenagers.
In theory supermarkets and other home delivery companies should not be delivering alcohol to addresses where there are no adults present, however this is not being uniformly applied.
The voluntary ban includes products that contain sulphuric acid such as drain cleaners/unblockers, hydrochloric acid (10% and over) such as brick and patio cleaners and sodium hydroxide (12% and over) such as paint strippers.
Former chief prosecutor for the North West, Nazir Afzal, says the voluntary acid sales ban, agreed by by Tesco, Wickes, B&Q, Screwfix, Wilko, the Co-op, Morrisons, Waitrose and John Lewis, does not go far enough.
He said there is a problem because shops which do not comply with the rules are unlikely to face any sanction.
From November 2016 to April 2017 there were 408 attacks across the UK, with 20 per cent committed by under-18s (file photo)
He added: ‘The other issue is online. I checked and you can buy sulphuric acid at 96per cent strength, which will burn your face off, for £10 on next day delivery.
‘Until you tackle that issue, you’re only playing with it rather than tackling it.’
Amazon and others sell a range of acid products online. For example, a 1 litre carton of battery acid, which is sulphuric acid, is available for £10.17 on Amazon. This will continue to be available even when a legal ban on sales to under 18s come into effect.
Purchases made through online stores are based on customers having a bank debit or credit card. Generally, these will be over 18 and therefore the proposed ban on sales would not apply.
Russell Findlay, who had sulphuric acid thrown in his face three years ago, said the move was a ‘step in the right direction’ and ‘a good thing’.
However, he said he doubted what impact it would have on people determined to carry acid, and said it was necessary for young people to receive better education.
Crime minister Victoria Atkins welcomed retailers’ decision to voluntarily ban the sale of acid to under 18s
He told the BBC: ‘These young gang members, they need to be made to realise how cowardly and craven these acts are.’
Nationwide, from November 2016 to April 2017, there were 408 attacks, of which about one in five were committed by under-18s.
The ban will apply to products that contain sulphuric acid, such as drain cleaners; products that contain hydrochloric acid (10per cent and above), such as brick and patio cleaners; and products that contain sodium hydroxide (12per cent and above), such as paint strippers.
The Home Office is proposing to make it unlawful to sell the substances to under-18s, and also make it a criminal offence to be in possession of acid in a public place without good reason.
These are similar to existing controls over the sale and possession of knives by under 18s, which have failed to reduce knife crime.
Crime minister Victoria Atkins said: ‘I’m pleased that so many of the UK’s major retailers are joining our fight… and signalling they are committed to selling acids responsibly.
‘This is the next step of our acid attacks action plan that has already seen us consult on new laws to restrict young people’s access to acids.’