Police and councils will be able to put ‘tough restrictions’ on perpetrators of anti-social behaviour under new powers announced by the home secretary today.
Under 'respect orders', persistent offenders could be banned from town centres or from drinking in public spots in a return to rules similar to anti-social behaviour orders, which were previously used across the UK and remain in force in Scotland.
Failure to comply will be a criminal offence that could result in a prison sentence of up to two years.
Police will also be able to seize vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour without issuing a warning first in a bid to tackle the ‘scourge’ of off-road bikes in parks and e-scooters on pavements.
The new powers, set to be introduced as part of a forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, will be piloted before they are rolled out across England and Wales.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘These new powers alongside thousands more neighbourhood officers and police community support officers will help this Government deliver on our mission to take back our streets.’
