Newport, in South Wales, has been labelled as having the UK's "worst high street" after being ranked with the highest shop vacancy rate among cities and large towns in a 2025 report by Centre for Cities. The city recorded a 19% vacancy rate, topping 62 other major urban areas surveyed. Locals say the situation has been worsened by increased crime and anti-social behaviour in and around the city centre, and they have called for a balaclava ban, as well as heightened police powers to ban street drinking and aggressive begging.
Locals describe 'zombies' and street fights
Mike Enea, a 53-year-old Newport resident, local campaigner and columnist for the South Wales Argus, told the Daily Express: "I've been quite well travelled in my job, I’ve been to Gloucester, Cheltenham and around the Westcountry and South Wales. Some towns fare better than others. Cheltenham, for example, doesn’t see much anti-social behaviour or closed shops but I think Newport, in comparison to most towns and cities, is struggling more than most."
Enea says crime and anti-social behaviour rates spiked during the summer months, with the "massive" issue impacting local businesses. He described scenes of public disorder: "There were a lot of people fighting in the streets. It’s not kids, it’s older people and rough sleepers. They live in temporary accommodation in and around the city centre. They get drunk and high on drugs in public. The word for them in Newport is 'Zombies' and they were literally everywhere in June and July."
Business closures and police operations
Video footage from July shows a drunk man scaling a statue dedicated to Sir Charles Morgan on Bridge Street, with an orange traffic cone on its head. Other videos show youths swinging off scaffolding on the High Street and police surrounding a group of drunk men, one of whom was asleep, on Bridge Street.
Newport lost its Marks & Spencer Foodhall at Friars Walk in June after the retailer's 10-year lease ended. The company cited changing shopping habits, declining footfall, repeated shoplifting, rising crime and anti-social behaviour for the closure. Enea called the closure a "massive" blow, and the city's streets are now lined with boarded-up shops and "closing down sale" signs, some citing "criminal behaviour" as the reason. Other recent departures include Debenhams and River Island. Annette Farmer closed her family-run jewellery business in August following thefts, losing around £40,000.
Gwent Police launched Operation Krypton in July to tackle anti-social behaviour, drug supply, and shoplifting, leading to 321 arrests. A subsequent operation, Athena, focused on vehicle-related crime from mid-September to October, resulting in 13 arrests and the seizure of 18 vehicles. However, Enea noted: "Police have clamped down on it but we’re still seeing incidents on social media. There have been accusations that police are not patrolling the streets but instead just responding to incidents so there’s no deterrent."
Council considers balaclava ban
A motion, nearly unanimously backed by Newport City Council on September 29, explores banning balaclavas. Council officers will investigate the feasibility of banning face coverings as part of an upcoming review of the city centre's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). The motion, which also calls for tighter rules on public drinking and begging, will be reviewed again in January, with exemptions for religious reasons noted.
Gwent Police described the balaclava ban proposal as a political matter rather than a policing one, which Enea said "upset" local councillors who compared the situation to Nottingham, where the police force actively fought to ban balaclavas. Nottingham added a ban on balaclavas and face-concealing masks to its PSPO on September 15.
A spokesperson for Newport City Council said: "The current city centre public spaces protection order (PSPO) already prohibits behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress. Where a face covering is being used in connection with that behaviour, this could potentially fall within the scope of the existing wording. We are aware some councils have included more specific wording on face coverings in their PSPOs. If local evidence supports it, the council could consider, alongside Gwent Police and Safer Newport partners, whether additional targeted wording would add value. Such a measure is only likely to be lawful if there is quantifiable and verifiable evidence of a link between the use of face coverings and crime and antisocial behaviour, such evidence being essential to justify any interference with the rights and freedoms of individuals. The city centre PSPO is due for review before it expires next year and any potential amendments can be considered as part of that process."
Superintendent Esyr Jones, Neighbourhood Policing for Gwent, said: "We’re continuing to work tirelessly to identify suspects, make arrests and secure charges against those causing harm in Newport city centre. Since July, we’ve made 321 arrests through our intelligence-led partnership initiative to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) across Newport, including in the city centre. We’ve solved 18 out of 21 reported commercial burglaries in the city over the past three months, which shows the positive results our ongoing partnership work is delivering. Five suspects have been sentenced to imprisonment, totalling more than four-and-half years, for burglary and theft offences at commercial premises. As part of this work, we’ve charged a number of other offenders with similar offences carried out in the city centre; these cases are currently progressing through the court system. This proactive approach continues alongside partners, including Newport City Council, as we remain relentless in our pursuit of those who cause harm to the communities of Newport. However, our work doesn’t stop here. This approach we've taken is part of our day-to-day activity in the city centre and our neighbourhood teams will continue to remain visible, accessible and focused on the issues that matter most to people in Newport. We will continue to target repeat offenders, carry out drug warrants and disrupt criminal activity while listening to concerns from businesses and residents and speaking with them regularly during our targeted patrols in the city centre. We remain fully committed to working with our partners and when we identify offences, including Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) breaches in Newport city centre, we will take appropriate action to help safeguard our communities."
