Garden centres, retailers and hobby users across the West Midlands are being urged to respond to government plans that would make it a criminal offence to sell castor beans and rosary peas to unlicensed members of the public.

Businesses and hobbyists across the West Midlands are being asked to have their say on proposals to tightly control chemicals that could be used to make explosives and dangerous weapons, including those found in the Southport attacker’s home.

The Home Office consultation is specifically seeking views from people who use explosives precursors and poisons for non-professional purposes such as hobbies and home use, businesses that use them professionally, businesses that sell them to home and business users, and manufacturers.

Under the plans, castor beans containing ricin and rosary peas containing abrin would be added to the list of regulated poisons under UK law. This would make it a criminal offence to sell them to members of the public who do not hold a valid licence.

Ricin and abrin are already strictly controlled under UK law because of their extreme toxicity, but the seeds which can be used to produce them can currently be bought for use in gardening and decoration. That means retailers selling ornamental plants and seeds, as well as online sellers, could be directly affected.

The government is also seeking to make it harder to access other dangerous poisons and chemicals which can be used to make explosives. Under the proposals, it would be much harder to obtain these substances without a licence, and shops and businesses would be required to report any suspicious transactions.

During searches of the Southport attack perpetrator’s home, police found evidence that he had bought castor beans online to make ricin, leading to his conviction under the Biological Weapons Act 1974. The proposals form part of the government’s commitment to implement all the recommendations made in phase one of the Southport Inquiry, which recommended greater regulation around the availability of castor beans.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis said:

“Protecting the public is our first duty. While these substances can have legitimate uses, we must stop them from being weaponised by those who want to cause harm.

“We will close the gaps exposed by the Southport attack and tighten the law to stop these dangerous chemicals falling into the wrong hands.”

The changes come under the Poisons Act 1972, which controls poisons and explosives precursors and restricts the general public’s access to the most dangerous materials. In certain circumstances, people can apply for a licence to buy and use a regulated substance if they have a genuine need for it and there is no safer alternative.

The consultation opened on 1 October and closes on 11 November 2026. Questions can be sent to precursorsandpoisons@homeoffice.gov.uk, and responses can be submitted via the consultation page on GOV.UK.