New powers aimed at addressing issues such as begging, street drinking, and scooter offences in Leicester City Centre will come into full effect tomorrow, with violators facing fixed penalties.
Since early April, uniformed teams have been patrolling key areas of the city to raise awareness of the new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – a set of powers designed to quickly address nuisance behaviours in public spaces.
Picture credit: Leicester City Council
During a month-long engagement and education period, officers have interacted with hundreds of people, and their visible presence has already helped reduce problems such as street drinking, begging, and the misuse of bikes and scooters.
In the last month alone, over 100 verbal warnings have been issued for begging. There have also been 49 incidents involving unauthorised charity collections, 220 bike and scooter offences, 73 cases of problematic street drinking, 79 incidents of unapproved amplification, and 82 unpermitted temporary structures like gazebos.
Starting tomorrow (Thursday, 1 May), those violating the PSPO may face a fixed penalty of £100, which could increase to £1,000 if prosecuted and convicted.
Support continues to be offered to those in need, with individuals found begging directed to food and shelter services. Riders of e-scooters and bikes have received information about legal use, with warnings that illegal vehicles could be seized by police under their ongoing Op Pedalfast initiative.
Feedback from residents and businesses suggests that the recent changes are already improving the city centre. Many have commented on a reduction in disruptive behaviour, and reports of issues like street drinking and reckless riding appear to be declining.
The PSPO, which came into effect on 2 April, applies to the city centre within the inner ring road, as well as areas around the railway station, all of New Walk, and the zone between London Road and Regent Road up to Granville Road.
Under the order, the following activities are considered offences if they cause a nuisance:
- Begging
- Collecting for charity without permission
- Irresponsible use of bikes, e-bikes, scooters, or skateboards
- Refusing to stop drinking alcohol when asked
- Using amplification equipment without permission
- Erecting unauthorised structures like gazebos
The full details of the PSPO are available at leicester.gov.uk/pspo.
Introduced nationally through the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014, PSPOs are designed to help communities maintain safe and welcoming public spaces. Once implemented, each order is valid for three years.
