POLICE are investigating an alleged pepper spray attack that left two people needing hospital treatment. Two local men have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault that happened in Delancey Park late on Saturday night.

Inspector Trevor Coleman said officers had yet to identify the substance that was used.

‘The early indication is that it was not pepper or CS spray because our officers are licensed to use such equipment and they would have recognised it,’ he said.

The Ambulance and Rescue Service said two ambulances attended the park shortly before midnight on Saturday after a number of people were reported as suffering from the effects of a discharged pepper spray.

The crews treated one person at the scene and a man and woman were taken to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

A duty sub-officer said the effects of being contaminated by such an irritant could be very painful.

‘A person’s eyes start watering and they experience blurred vision,’ he said.

‘Flushing it out with sterilised water usually helps, although the effects can still continue.

‘Accident and Emergency treatment would most likely involve some form of eye drops.’

If the substance was pepper spray, it would most likely have been purchased from an internet mail order website.

There are many companies that sell it as a form of self defence against criminals or dangerous animals such as bears.

Insp Coleman said a device for dispensing such a substance would be prohibited in Guernsey under licensed firearms regulations.

Customs chief Rob Prow confirmed that such items were seized here from time to time.

‘We don’t have any intelligence to suggest that it is a problem here, although should we discover that it is an emerging one we would obviously step up our action,’ he said.

‘The problem with these websites is they often don’t make it clear in their advertising that the onus is on the purchaser to make sure they are not importing a banned substance.

‘If someone was caught bringing in pepper spray for the first time and it was only one such item then seizure would be the most likely outcome.

‘However, if it was multiple consignments then prosecution would definitely be an option.’