Nottingham City Council has confirmed that a ban on face coverings in the city centre will come into force on Tuesday, September 15, with offenders facing £70 fines. The restriction forms part of additional powers under a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which took effect at the end of July.
New powers for officers
The existing PSPO already gives police and community protection officers extra authority to tackle aggressive charity collections, noisy buskers, public urination, and unauthorised Big Issue salespeople. Under the new rules, authorised officers will be able to require a person to remove a face covering when it is used to conceal identity while committing or being involved in crime or antisocial behaviour, or when it is worn in a way that causes intimidation, harassment, alarm, or distress.
The council launched a consultation on the face-covering ban at the beginning of August. Councillor Neghat Khan, leader of the council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the two-week consultation received more than 2,200 responses, with 90% supporting the action.
Crime concerns in the city
Concerns over crime and antisocial behaviour peaked in November last year, when two groups of youths brandishing machetes confronted each other in Old Market Square during the Winter Wonderland Christmas market. A few months earlier, young people wearing face coverings accessed the vacant Debenhams building and threw roof tiles and other projectiles off the historic landmark.
The Labour-led council said evidence has shown clear support for a ban, citing "repeated incidents involving individuals wearing face coverings linked to antisocial behaviour, theft, public disorder and weapons-related incidents." Nottinghamshire Police's city centre-focused Operation Reclaim also identified face coverings "as a key factor contributing to fear of crime and reduced feelings of safety."
Exemptions and impact
People who wear face coverings for religious, medical, or other legitimate reasons will be exempt from the restriction. Cllr Khan said the ban could help prevent similar incidents in the future and make Nottingham city centre feel safer, adding: "I've been clear that I want Nottingham to be a safer city, if not the safest city in the country. This will be a big step in the right direction."
