Nearly nine out of ten British people believe that householders should be able to use ‘whatever force necessary’ against someone burgling their home, our poll has discovered. Householders are currently entitled by law to use ‘reasonable force’ against someone who has broken into their home, and just fewer than one in ten people would oppose a change to this rule.
Our poll also revealed that more than half of people think it would be justified for someone to stab a person they found burgling their home, and three in five people would probably confront a burglar if they discovered one in their own home.
- 85% of British people support the Government’s intention to change the law to allow householders to use ‘whatever force necessary’ to defend their homes
- Currently a householder is entitled in law to use ‘reasonable force’ against someone burgling their home, and just 9% of people would oppose a change to this rule
- More than half of people (56%) think that it would be justified for someone to stab a person they found burgling their home
- While 22% say that the action would not be justified
- Three in five people (60%) revealed that if they found a burglar in their own home, they would probably confront them
- And 23% concluded that they would probably not confront them
‘Whatever force necessary’
The poll comes as Justice Secretary Ken Clarke last week told the BBC that people were entitled to use ‘whatever force necessary’ to protect themselves and their homes. Clarke surmised that there was ‘constant doubt’ about the issue of people’s right to self-defence in their home and that proposed legislation on the matter would make it ‘much clearer.’ Prime Minister David Cameron has also recently commented that the matter should be put ‘beyond doubt’.
‘Total shambles’
The opposition has criticised the Government, with Labour minister and Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan insisting that ‘the law is already clear ‒ under the existing law people can rightly defend themselves and their property with reasonable force.’ He added: ‘This Government has used spin and smokescreens of new laws in an attempt to distract from what is a justice bill in total shambles.’
Last month Peter Flanagan, from Salford, was arrested on suspicion of murder after a man, identified as John Leonard Bennell from Greater Manchester, was stabbed to death following a night-time break-in to Flanagan’s son’s family home.
