Leicester tackles anti-social behaviour in the city centre

Dominic Gomersall, who runs a jewellery shop on High Street, told the BBC that Leicester city centre was showing clear signs of improvement following the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The order, introduced by Leicester City Council in April 2025, gives authorised officers and police additional powers to tackle anti-social behaviour within the city centre.

It covers behaviour including aggressive or nuisance begging, problematic street drinking and the dangerous use of bicycles, e-bikes and scooters. People who breach the order can face a £100 fixed penalty notice.

Gomersall’s experience is particularly striking because, shortly before the PSPO was introduced, Lumbers had considered an offer to relocate to an out-of-town shopping centre amid concerns about anti-social behaviour and other problems affecting the city centre.

Eighteen months later, he points to businesses reopening and new investment as encouraging signs.

“The headlines are that shops are reopening,” he told the BBC, highlighting several new businesses moving into the area.

While it would be difficult to attribute wider investment decisions to any single intervention, perceptions of safety and disorder matter enormously to the attractiveness of town and city centres. Businesses, workers, residents and visitors all have an interest in public spaces that feel safe, welcoming and well managed.

Leicester’s approach also demonstrates that legislation alone is not enough.

In June, the council deployed a dedicated team of public space officers to patrol the city centre. Their role combines engagement and support with visible enforcement where necessary.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said the PSPO had made a “considerable difference”, although he acknowledged that problems including dangerous e-bike use, rough sleeping and other anti-social behaviour had not disappeared.

That distinction is important.

Tackling persistent anti-social behaviour does not mean expecting every problem to disappear overnight. It means ensuring that repeated problems are noticed, recorded and acted upon - and that public authorities have both the information and the capacity necessary to intervene.

Public space officer Ifthkar Majid similarly cautioned that changing perceptions takes time. His colleague Scott White said officers had already established relationships with people on the streets, including individuals who had voluntarily handed knives over to the team.

There remains more to do. Gomersall, for example, has called for further action to address the intimidating use of balaclavas in the city centre.

But this report from Leicester provides an encouraging example of what can happen when communities identify persistent problems and authorities respond with a combination of clear rules, visible presence, engagement and enforcement.

That is also an important principle behind FixASB.

Reporting anti-social behaviour is not simply about recording individual incidents. Building a clearer picture of persistent problems can help councils, police and other partners understand where intervention is needed, target resources and ultimately make shared public spaces safer, more prosperous and better for everyone.