There was a 42% spike in the number of on-the-spot fines issued for offences like swearing, loitering, drinking alcohol and begging in England and Wales last year, new research has found.
According to the Manifesto Club, 298 local authorities issued 19,162 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) in 2023 to people breaching public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), which ban activities in a named area.
The group, which campaigns for freedom in public spaces, said councils had issued 13,443 FPNs the previous year, which was itself a record high.
The new research revealed that penalties were not distributed evenly among councils, with 145 authorities issuing none and 50 issuing fewer than six.
Meanwhile, three London borough councils each issued more than 3,000 fines: Harrow, Redbridge, and Hillingdon.
Campaigners said more fines were being issued due to the increased use of private enforcement officers, who are paid per fine and issue penalties ‘at a much higher rate than local authority staff’.
The group also said a growing number of penalties were issued for ‘vague or subjective’ offences, and argued that 'anyone could sometimes fall foul of broad PSPOs punishing "excessive noise", "nuisance", "reckless behaviour" or "gathering in a group"’.
Offences reported by councils included having dogs off leads, drinking alcohol in public, ‘untidy yards and gardens’, begging, spitting, loitering, gathering in a group, rough sleeping, and shouting.
