A UK city is considering banning balaclavas in a bid to crack down on masked youths on e-bikes terrorising the streets. Face coverings could be outlawed in Nottingham as part of the fight against nuisance riders in the city centre. It comes as residents say they have been blighted by teens in balaclavas riding e-bikes and e-scooters.
If the ban was implemented, it would mean anyone caught wearing a balaclava in the city centre could be prosecuted and fined for breaking the law. The proposals have formed part of Nottingham City Council's new plans to clamp down on antisocial behaviour, busking and begging. It comes after the Midlands city was named the seventh most dangerous place to live in the UK outside London, according to latest Home Office crime data.
Local Support for the Ban
The scheme has been backed by many locals. One couple, who would only give their names as Peter and Maggie, said: "I think they should not allow these youths to be masked. If you can't go into a bank with a helmet on, then why should you be allowed to be masked up and hooded up - what have they got to hide?" They added: "I think it will reduce crime a little bit but it's down to policing. If police won't do anything then what's the point? It does make you feel intimidated seeing them on electric bikes, swinging around all over the pavements, where are the police?"
Maggie said: "If they are going to commit crime they will commit crime no matter what they wear. But give police the powers to do it. They are arresting the wrong people at the moment. They are protecting the wrong people. I think for a woman it can be intimidating if you see a whole group of them in masks or balaclavas."
A local shopkeeper, who did not want to be named, added: "I've had masked kids in my shops stealing stuff all of the time. I would welcome any ban on face coverings like this, they are not needed and gives them a disguise to conceal their identity. It gives them confidence to hide behind a mask, they know they will probably not get caught as their faces are covered from CCTV."
National Call for Action
A mum from Greater Manchester has launched a petition calling on balaclavas to be banned in the UK after her son was injured in a hit-and-run. She also welcomed the idea and called for a national rollout. Ethan Hodson-Ridgway, eight, was launched 10ft into the air after two yobs on a moped ploughed into him just outside his home on December 20 last year. He suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg, a collapsed lung and sustained a gash to his head.
Mum Amy Hodson-Ridgway, 34, from Denton, has since been campaigning for a ban on balaclavas and her petition has around 60,000 signatures. Amy said: "I would 100 per cent welcome a role out of this idea nationally. The petition getting as many signatures as it has proves that this is a big issue across the country and not just in one city. It would help keep all communities safer. These face coverings provide anonymity to countless individuals committing crimes and helps them evade accountability. Ethan's physical wounds have healed but the mental scars are there. During the recent heatwave he would not play outside with his friends because youths in balaclavas were riding bikes and scooters all over the place. His twin sister Olivia, who witnessed the hit and run even drew a picture of someone in a balaclava when I asked her why she wasn't playing outside - it just shows the long lasting damage and we can't be the only family going through the same."
Council's Proposed Measures
The council's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is currently going through a period of consultation and considers other actions including prohibiting distributing leaflets without permission and selling the Big Issue in unapproved areas. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, council leader Councillor Neghat Khan revealed balaclavas could be banned as part of the PSPO.
She said: "It's a serious concern, people on e-bikes, it's 32 degrees and you're wearing a balaclava. That's not acceptable. It's about safety. People have got to feel confident. This is a place on the up but they've got to feel safe day or night. I am of the view that I understand religious reasons and things like that but in 32 degrees that we've had a couple of weeks ago, people were on bikes with balaclavas on – that doesn't make you feel safe. Why are you wearing a balaclava? What are you hiding that you have to wear it in the peak of heat?"
PSPOs were introduced under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to “help address behaviours that have a detrimental impact on the quality of life of people in a local area.” Nottingham City Council has been approached for comment.
