Balaclavas could be banned under city safety plans

Balaclavas could be banned in Nottingham city centre after a public consultation on wider efforts to improve safety in the city flagged concerns around the issue.

Nottingham City Council is in the process of bringing in a new three-year Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to crack down on certain nuisance behaviours, including busking and begging.

Concerns about balaclavas have been raised during a public consultation on the PSPO, council leader Neghat Khan said.

While balaclavas do not form part of the current PSPO, Khan said the authority would run a shorter consultation on the introduction of a ban if opinion was strong enough.

She added: "It's a serious concern. People on e-bikes; it's 32 degrees and you're wearing a balaclava. That's not acceptable.

"It's about safety. People have got to feel confident. This is a place on the up but they've got to feel safe, day or night.

"I am of the view that I understand religious reasons and things like that, but in 32 degrees that we've had a couple of weeks ago, people were on bikes with balaclavas on - that doesn't make you feel safe."

The consultation on the PSPO forms part of wider efforts to make Nottingham the "safest city in the country".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the proposed measures include restrictions on busking that causes unreasonable disturbance, unauthorised requests for money and certain street collections, and selling the Big Issue in unapproved areas.

Khan's comments about the potential balaclava ban were made on Friday at the city launch of the 2050 Nottingham Vision, which set out 10 ideas those in charge want to implement over the next 25 years.

Asked about making the city safer as part of the plans, she said: "There was some sort of report published that said Nottingham was the seventh most unsafe place in the country. As the leader of the council, that's not a tag I want.

"I don't care who it is, any time, day or night, you should feel safe. This is your city and we're not going to let criminals and others take it over."

Khan added she would not "rest until we're the safest city in the country".

The consultation on the proposed PSPO will run until 23 June.

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