Stronger crackdown launched on antisocial behaviour and street drinking

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter 

Stricter rules are being extended for the next three years as authorities move to curb disruptive behaviour and clamp down on alcohol-related issues in public spaces.

The crackdown on bad behaviour and public drinking will continue across Caerphilly County Borough.

Council cabinet members have agreed to renew Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) for the area’s bus stops and stations, and other places which are “hotspots for gatherings and antisocial behaviour.”

Cllr Philippa Leonard, the cabinet member for public protection, said the borough’s PSPOs had been “effective over the past three years” thanks to a combination of “early intervention, education, and enforcement through patrols and fixed penalty notices”.

Anyone who breaches a PSPO could face a £100 fine and end up in court if they fail to pay.

At a cabinet meeting, on Wednesday December 10, Cllr Leonard said the orders would cover “disorderly, indecent or offensive behaviour,” as well as troublemaking such as graffiti, littering or deliberate fires.

PSPOs also make it an offence to continue drinking alcohol in as many as 280 places across the borough if asked to stop by an authorised officer.

Cllr Leonard said around 60 people responded to a recent public consultation on the policy, and the vast majority of them supported renewing the PSPOs.

Non-renewal of the orders “could lead to increased antisocial behaviour and reduced enforcement capability,” she added.