London arms fair organisers eject two companies

Two companies have been ejected from a UK arms fair for promoting illegal weapons, after an MP raised the issue.

A spokesman for the DSEI event in London's Docklands said they were French firm Magforce International and Chinese company Tianjin Myway.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said the companies were promoting handheld projectile electric shock weapons, weighted leg cuffs and stun batons.

Organisers said HM Revenue and Customs enforced the law at the event.

A spokesman said the two companies were "found with literature in breach of British law".

'Enormously worrying'

Ms Lucas, who raised the issue in the House of Commons, said: "I am very pleased that they have been ejected but I think it is enormously worrying that it takes a question in Parliament to make DSEI do their jobs properly.

"One can have no confidence that the policy on selling illegal weapons is being upheld properly at all."

Organisers said the stands of the businesses involved were immediately shut down and their staff ejected from the event.

A spokesman said: "This action highlights our commitment to ensuring that all equipment, services, promotional material, documentation and anything else on display... complies with domestic and international law.

"Enforcing the law at DSEI is the responsibility of HMRC who have teams on site throughout the show for this purpose.

"The literature in question has been confiscated and passed to HMRC for further investigation. DSEI's compliance team is also looking into the matter further."

Magforce International said it "rejects all accusations of prohibited weapons and vigorously disputes the measures taken against the company by the organisers of DSEI exhibition".

Tianjin Myway have not yet commented.