Cracking down on anti-social behaviour

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been introduced to cover Lancaster city centre, Morecambe town centre, and lower Heysham.

The order was created with help from more than 300 residents who gave their views through an online consultation. The PSPO, which also covers Happy Mount Park and Williamson Park, provides police and authorised officers with additional powers to crackdown on behaviour which is causing ‘annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress’.

There are also extra measures to stop people drinking alcohol on the streets and to confiscate it if necessary, and to prevent people possessing or taking ‘psychoactive substances’, including nitrous oxide.

Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “The Lancaster district is a great place to live, work and visit, but there are some hotspots that suffer from anti-social behaviour and on-street drinking, especially late at night.

“The introduction of the PSPO sends out a clear message about the type of behaviour which is not acceptable and provides additional powers to help tackle the problem.”

Fixed penalty notices of £100 will be handed out for any breaches of the order, non-payment of which could lead to prosecution at court.

The full text of the order can be read at www.lancaster.gov.uk/pspo.

Last updated: 14 December 2021