Mayor wants greater powers to tackle bad behaviour

New powers could be handed to police and council officers to tackle problems in the city centre

Leicester's mayor has said he would like police and council officers to be granted further powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in Leicester city centre.

Sir Peter Soulsby has sworn to use "all the tools at his disposal" to deal with an increase in issues, including street drinking, begging and the "irresponsible use" of bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service one proposal to tackle the issues is to impose a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which would grant greater powers to take enforcement action against those causing a nuisance.

The public is now being given a chance to have their say on a new PSPO on the council website.

Breaching a PSPO is a criminal offence and anyone caught breaking the rules can be fined £100, which can rise to £1,000 if prosecution leads to a conviction, the council said.

Sir Peter said: "We know that other cities are experiencing similar problems, but it's unacceptable that the behaviour of a few individuals should spoil the city centre for the rest of us."

The proposed order would cover inside the inner ring road, the area around Leicester station, New Walk, and the area between London Road and Regent Road as far as Granville Road.

The consultation will run on the council website until 17 February, with a three-year order introduced on 1 April if approved.

Sir Peter added further PSPOs could be looked at in other parts of the city at a later date.