Fighting the Fakes: The battle against AI disinformation
The Electoral Commission has launched a deepfake detection pilot ahead of May's elections. LocalGov's editor William Eichler finds out how it works.
Call for more scrutiny around PSPOs
29/04/2026 Councils are using public space orders to ban everyday activities, research has found. |
Anti-abortion campaigner fined £20k for ‘buffer zone’ breach
07/04/2025 An anti-abortion campaigner has been given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £20,000 to BCP Council for breaching a protest ‘buffer zone’. |
Thanet council drops ‘foul language’ ban
23/08/2024 Thanet District Council members have dropped plans to ban the use of ‘foul language’ after free speech activists threatened to take legal action. |
Councils issue record number of finds for 'busybody' offences
20/07/2023 Local authorities issued the highest ever number of penalties for anti-social behaviour – or for what have been branded 'busybody' offences – in 2022. |
BCP Council proposes barbeque ban
25/01/2023 BCP Council has launched a consultation on proposals to prohibit barbeques in public spaces and other ‘negative behaviours’. |
BCP Council bans protests around abortion clinic
12/10/2022 BCP Council has agreed to implement a buffer zone around an abortion clinic in Bournemouth to prevent protestors from harassing women and staff. |
Rough sleepers ‘criminalised’ by PSPOs
03/10/2022 People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately criminalised in areas with Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), a new report reveals. |
Safeguarding communities from anti-social behaviour with multi-agency enforcement
05/04/2022 Dyl Kurpil explains how effective Public Spaces Protection Order enforcement can rapidly transform a community, rebuilding trust and reinvigorating local economies. |
Councils levy over £1m fines for COVID offences
18/06/2021 Councils have issued over £1m in fines to businesses for COVID offences, an investigation has unveiled. |
Councils taking ‘zero tolerance’ approach to community posters
25/11/2019 Nearly half of councils remove all posters put up by community groups, a new investigation has revealed. |
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Liberty to bring legal challenge against Legal Aid Agency
23/10/2018 A civil liberties group will take the Government to court over its refusal to provide legal aid to those wishing to challenge councils over their use of anti-social behaviour legislation. |
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Ealing Council is first to approve abortion clinic safe zone
11/04/2018 Ealing has become the first council in the UK to introduce a ‘safe zone’ around an abortion clinic. |
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Nearly half of councils using powers to ban anti-social behaviour
31/07/2017 More than 100 councils have used new powers to curb a range of anti-social behaviour – from begging to swearing – in a 16-month time period, according to a new report. |
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Council to use PSPOs to ‘crackdown’ on dog walkers
28/03/2017 A London borough is looking to crackdown on professional dog walkers after complaints dogs are spoiling the area’s parks. |
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Somerset considers banning drones
22/08/2016 A council in the South West is considering introducing a PSPO in order to ban the use of drones in public places. |
