Residents welcome borough-wide public protection order

Saima Mhamood said there were sometimes drunk people around her shop

Residents and business owners have welcomed proposals to implement a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for an entire borough.

Slough Borough Council is currently consulting on the plan, which would mean police could order people to stop consuming alcohol in public and issue on-the-spot fines of up to £100.

One resident told the BBC his 17-year-old daughter currently refused to visit him because she felt so unsafe in the area.

The consultation is running until 12 February, at which point the council will review the feedback and seek approval from the cabinet later in the year.

The proposed PSPO would not ban the consumption of alcohol in public places, but it would make it an offence not to stop or surrender drinks if asked by a council or Thames Valley Police (TVP) officer.

Officers can only ask if they believe anti-social behaviour has, or is likely to, occur.

In addition to the on-the-spot fines, officers could also take rule-breakers to court where fines of up to £1,000 could be handed out.

Councillor Iftakhar Ahmed said the order was "part of a toolkit to tackle lower-level behaviour that has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of residents".

The proposed PSPO would cover the entire borough

Shop owner Saima Mhamood said there were often drunk people around her store, and in the past they had come inside.

"When I’m working and I’m with the customer, drunk men came and opened... my door, and they start swearing at me," she said.

"I didn’t like it."

Mohammed Afzal Khan said some women are afraid to leave the house

Local resident Mohammed Afzal Khan said parts of the borough felt very unsafe, especially Chalvey, which was covered by its own PSPO until December 2020.

"I’m a regular shopper around this area… I feel very uncomfortable after it gets dark to even come shopping," he said.

"I’ve got a daughter. Where I used to live in High Wycombe - she’s 17 now - she was happy to come and see me there.

"As soon as I move to this area, she’s not willing to come down this area. That’s how bad she feels."

He said "women are very scared of coming out", but he believed the PSPO would make a difference.

"I believe if you give the power to the police to do the right thing for the general public... I think the police will do a good job," he said.