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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

Use of pepper spray authorised at young offender institutions in England and Wales

Shabana Mahmood walks past bushes and greenery near Downing Street; she wears a pale cream jacket and holds a large black folder.
Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, said it was a ‘vital measure … to urgently prioritise safety’. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Children as young as 15 face being incapacitated with pepper spray after Shabana Mahmood on Thursday authorised its use at young offender institutions [YOIs].

The justice secretary for the first time signed off the use of Pava spray, a synthetic form of pepper spray, for use across three of the four YOIs in England and Wales.

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