Council blunder leads to wave of public boozing

Council powers to tackle antisocial behaviour were restored earlier this month after an admin error caused an increase in public drunkenness within Coventry city centre. 

Coventry City Council introduced a Public Service Protection Order (PSPO) in 2017, which allows antisocial behaviour to be tackled even when no crime has been committed.  

Behaviour that falls under the guidelines includes public drunkenness and the use of laughing gas.  

With the PSPO in place, council enforcement officers and police had the right to issue fines and confiscate items like alcohol and canisters. 

However, the Council failed to renew the PSPO in July, leading to its expiration. Whilst it was restored at the beginning of October following a City Council meeting, cases of public drunkenness and other forms of antisocial behaviour have surged in the interim. 

A survey of 294 people by Coventry City Council found overwhelming concern about public drinking, with more than 90% supporting the restoration of the PSBO

Council Inspector David Mason, of West Midlands Police, received documents detailing a “sharp rise in problems”, particularly in Broadgate. 

The spike in public drunkenness has also been noticed by those living and working locally – a survey of 294 people by Coventry City Council found overwhelming concern about public drinking, with more than 90% supporting the restoration of the PSBO. 

Aleksandra Beska, a worker at the Lady Godiva News newsagents, noted that staff have had to hide alcohol to prevent shoplifting, with drunk people shouting racist abuse at them and vomiting in the street. 

Beska argued: “The police and the Council don’t do much to prevent this kind of behaviour, and I can tell that it’s scaring people.” 

Certainly, there is a feeling among councillors that it has caused an element of reputational damage

Gary Ridley, Conservative Leader of the Opposition, Coventry City Council

The expiration of the PSPO sparked outrage among members of the Conservative opposition on the Council. Cllr Gary Ridley, the Conservative leader of the opposition, branded the admin error an “extraordinary lapse of oversight”. 

“Certainly, there is a feeling among councillors that it has caused an element of reputational damage. 

“Once word gets around that powers have lapsed, it does encourage people to behave in a way that isn’t appropriate.” 

Labour Cllr Pervez Akhter, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, rebuffed Conservative critics, saying they were “talking our city down” and arguing the Council takes antisocial behaviour “very seriously”.