Otley Run fines for bad behaviour extended until 2026

Otley Run participants face on-the-spot fines if they commit anti-social behaviour offences

A crackdown on bad behaviour by some drinkers taking part in Leeds' most famous pub crawl is being extended.

An on-the-spot fines scheme designed to tackle public urination, littering and harassment along the route of the Otley Run was due to end at the end of June.

However, a public space protection order (PSPO), which also covers the route, has been extended until 2026.

Leeds City Council said the order would continue to target poor behaviour rather than responsible pub-goers.

Otley Road in Headingley is a popular route for revellers

Councillors and locals voiced concerns over issues such as some drinkers blocking traffic, going to the toilet outdoors and harassing female residents, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Otley Run, which is made up of about 15 pubs across Headingley, Hyde Park and the edge of the city centre, was traditionally a rite-of-passage for students clad in fancy dress.

Critics, however, claimed the pub crawl had become a target for older drinkers and stag and hen dos, with one councillor suggesting last year that Headingley had become "like Magaluf" on weekends.

To tackle anti-social behaviour, the PSPO was introduced in 2020 and will now run for at least another three years.

Breaching a PSPO is a criminal offence and penalties included a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of up to £100, or a fine of up to £1,000 on prosecution in the magistrates' court.

Since the scheme was introduced, 872 FPNs have been issued in the area, but not all of them related to disorderly behaviour by revellers, Leeds City Council said.

A council spokesperson told the BBC that additional measures to tackle anti-social behaviour had been needed, despite the PSPO already in place.

The spokesperson added: "No one should have to put up with anti-social behaviour and as a council, we have a firm commitment to putting an end to this type of behaviour in our communities and ensuring that people feel safe and are safe."

Offences which could incur a fine on the route are:

• Urinating/defecating in public

• Possessing open containers of alcohol where the possession of alcohol is or is likely to cause anti-social behaviour

• Use of intoxicating substances such as "psychoactives" in a public space

• Verbal abuse, including that of a sexual nature towards females

• Household waste being left on the streets