A ban on balaclavas is overdue - but leave burqas out of it, writes James Hanson

But like all freedoms, it should come with responsibilities - and it’s time for that to include the need to show your face.

The issue is back in the news because of the recent anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth, in which large groups of men, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, blocked roads and clashed with police. Speaking on LBC last night, the former Conservative Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly called for face coverings to be banned - but I can’t help wondering why it’s taken him so long to reach this view, and why he never did it while in power?

This isn’t just about the far-right. For years now, left-wing agitators have also used balaclavas to hide their identities - from Antifa to pro-Palestine protestors. Not only does this cowardly behaviour make it harder for the authorities to prosecute those who commit violence, it is also highly intimidating to members of the public.

And it’s not just demonstrators who wear them. In my corner of south London, I’ve seen groups of balaclava-wearing youths rampaging through my local supermarket on a shoplifting spree. And when my phone was stolen a couple of years ago, it was predictably done so by a thief wearing a face covering.

The police should have the power to arrest someone just for wearing one. After all, if you’re popping into Sainsbury’s in a balaclava, you’re hardly there to top up your Nectar points.

Of course, where this becomes even more contentious is the issue of religious face-coverings, notably the burqa and the niqab. Should they be banned alongside other face coverings?

While I personally view such garments as symbols of patriarchal oppression, I also believe in the importance of religious freedom. And let’s be honest, there aren’t many Muslim women among the shoplifters, phone thieves and violent demonstrators whose actions have prompted calls for such a ban. So I’m open to these being granted an exemption.

But whatever happens with religious garments, the time has long since passed for balaclavas to be outlawed. Let’s face it - in a civilised society, there is simply no need for them. They are the preserve of bank robbers, hooligans and anarchists. It’s time the law treated them as such.

If Shabana Mahmood wants to cement her growing reputation as a no-nonsense Home Secretary, she should bring forward legislation banning balaclavas as quickly as possible. Only those who are up to no good could possibly oppose it.

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Listen to James Hanson on LBC on weekends between 4 and 7am.

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