I would always either report or have stern words with the people. I mean think of it this way, what if they keep thinking they can get away with it, and the next person gets hit, and the consequences are more severe? Answering violence with violence isn't the answer though, I mean if you spray them, or throw something at them, or ram something up their exhaust you are commiting another offence!
Personally I would report any act of serious aggression or violence to the Police immediately.
But that doesn’t stop one from acting in self-defence. After all one would have to get away from the attacker to report an attack. I have little faith in passers-by’s these days (would probably steal your phone and money while your unconscious).
Unless the law has change, it is not an offence in this country to defend oneself or others from harm. Provided the defence is proportional to the attack.
If someone has a defence spray it doesn’t necessary mean they will use it at the first hint of raised voices. Products such as these require responsible use.
Therefore, if an attacker grabs a victim and they give the attacker a face full of defence spray, the victim has a good chance of getting away with minimum harm. In such a scenario the victim HAS been assaulted (grab or ruffed up) and the UV marker will help in identifying the attacker days later.
This is not a spray and forget product. It is designed to help apprehend violent individuals who have carried out an assault. In such a case the law would do everything it could to help the victim - it's self-defence.
So one can have stern words with them but keep your free hand ready to grab your spray for that possible attack.
However, if you use a defence spray for attack, spraying someone in the face and then knocked seven bails out of them, you would be done for assault - and rightly so.
These are defence sprays not attack sprays, which is why they are legal under the asinine (you can’t defend yourself here) UK law.
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