New street rules for parts of Preston in antisocial behaviour blitz

That was the message from a senior councillor about the introduction of a raft of regulations in a part of the city dubbed ‘Inner East Preston’.

Cllr Freddie Bailey, cabinet member for environment and community safety at Preston City Council, was speaking after he and his cabinet colleagues approved a public spaces protection order (PSPO) across parts of the St. Matthew’s, and Fishwick and Frenchwood wards.

The move will see the implementation of eight rules – enforceable by authorised council officers and the police – which will outlaw antisocial practices like going to the toilet in the street and dumping used condoms and hypodermic needles.

It will also introduce an effective ban on drinking alcohol in public places in the area by requiring people to stop swigging – and hand over their entire drink – if asked to do so by an officer.

Anyone who breaches the new order can be handed a fixed penalty notice of up to £100, but could also receive a ‘level 3 fine’ of up to £1,000 if summarily convicted of what will be a criminal offence.

Cllr Bailey said the order will be “a welcome tool that gives us more power, working with the local police force, to restrict and ban certain antisocial behaviour…preventing nuisance…and maintaining a safe environment for our residents”.

He added: “The areas where the PSPO will come into effect have been victims of antisocial behaviour for some time and this will help crack down on repeated offenders.”

Cabinet members approved the order after being presented with a report that said evidence from the police, council and public showed that it was needed.

The order will run for three years, at which point it would have to be formally renewed if it were to remain in force.

New rules in full

***No persons shall consume alcohol or have an open alcohol container within the Prohibition Area after having been requested by an authorised officer to cease consumption of alcohol or hand over the container (unless in an otherwise lawful premises);

***No persons shall ingest, inhale, inject, smoke, or otherwise use intoxicating substances within the prohibition area;

***No persons shall urinate or defecate in any public place (other than a public toilet) within the prohibition area;

***No persons shall discard hypodermic needles or syringes in any public place within the prohibition area (except in an appropriate sharps container);

***No persons shall discard used condoms in any public place within the prohibition area (except in an appropriate closed container);

***No persons shall obstruct a building entrance or exit, stairwell or highway in the prohibition area after being asked to move by an authorised officer;

***No persons shall act or incite others to act in an anti-social manner likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress to any person within a public space within the prohibition area;

***No persons shall refuse to provide their genuine name and address to an authorised officer for the purposes of enforcement of the public spaces protection order.

Source: Preston City Council