Rejected petition Make wearing balaclavas illegal

Make it an offence to wear a face-concealing garment in public when not necessary for legitimate activity, defining covered items to include balaclavas, full-face masks, and similar coverings that obscure identity.

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Ban balaclavas in public to stop anonymised violence and intimidation. Concealment fuels moped gang robberies and aggressive street crime, prevents identification, and terrorises communities. A targeted prohibition with narrow exemptions will strip criminals of an easy anonymity tool, improve investigations, deter organised attacks, and restore public safety and confidence.

Moped gangs and people using these masks have to have their advantages taken from them.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.

You may wish to sign the following petition, which calls for similar action:

Ban balaclavas to prevent crime
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/726978

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 22 October 2025
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