Legalise harmless pepper spray before more lives are lost

BRITAIN is facing a crisis.

- Sophie Corcoran

An atmosphere of dread has taken hold of the country in recent weeks, from the incompetent accidental early release of prisoners - including those guilty of sex offences - to the shocking rise in violent, unprovoked attacks.

In Uxbridge, council worker, Wayne Broadhurst, 49 ,was stabbed to death while walking his dog,

Earlier this month, 10 people were stabbed on board an LNER Doncaster to London train service, several suffering severe injuries. That’s a route I used to take frequently when I lived in Peterborough, returning weekly to visit my parents in Essex.

The idea of being trapped on a moving train, with nowhere to hide and no way to get off, while a madman rampages through the carriage with a knife is the stuff of nightmares.

And earlier this week, 34-year-old called Katie Fox was stabbed to death at a Birmingham bus stop in what police described as an unprovoked attack.

It feels as though we can no longer walk the dog, get on a train, or wait for a bus without the risk of being randomly attacked.

We shouldn't have to put up with this. But the law, as it stands, is failing us.