Nottingham city centre balaclava ban comes into force
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Balaclava ban comes into force in Nottingham city centre
Image source: Remco van Schellen
Image caption: The ban comes just weeks after an unrelated protest in Dover when anti-migrant demonstrators covered their faces with balaclavas
By Olimpia Zagnat
East Midlands
Published 1 hour ago
A ban on face coverings in Nottingham city centre has officially come into force. From today, police and community protection officers will be able to ask people to remove coverings if they "reasonably believe" they are being used to conceal their identity to commit crime or anti-social behaviour. Anyone who refuses to comply could face a £70 fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted, with courts able to impose a maximum fine of £1,000.
The leader of Nottingham City Council, Neghat Khan, said residents had felt intimidated when they saw people wearing balaclavas, skeleton masks or other face coverings without a legitimate reason.
"Our residents should be able to live, work and spend time in Nottingham without feeling frightened or unsafe," Khan previously told the BBC. "That is why we are taking decisive action and becoming one of the first cities in the country to introduce a restriction of this kind."
The enforcement will not apply to face coverings worn for legitimate reasons, including religious, cultural, health, work, weather or personal safety reasons. It will be up to officers to determine whether or not coverings are being worn legitimately.
In Nottingham, people told the BBC they welcomed the ban, adding it would make them feel safer.
Shayma Muhammadqboliyom, a 19-year-old who is applying to college in the city, said:
"I don’t think I would be comfortable in front of a man wearing a balaclava. If there are cameras around, and he’s about to do something, I think it’s important [that you’re able] to see his face for an investigation if they’re doing something illegal. It’s important to recognise his face."
Jaden Dale, 19, studies at Nottingham Trent University and said he was glad the ban was coming into force.
"As a majority, I’m pretty glad, because the children who run around can be intimidating. I think it helps most people around Nottingham but the only problem would be the Deliveroo drivers, who kind of wear it to keep dust out of their eyes and stuff like that. Other than that, I think it’s a good thing."
Confirmation of a start date for the action in Nottingham comes after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for full face coverings, including those worn for religious reasons, to be banned in public, following masked protesters gathering in Dover.
Elsewhere in the country, Stafford Borough Council approved plans to prohibit balaclavas as part of its updated public spaces protection order (PSPO) earlier this year. More recently, community leaders in the West Midlands said they would like to see their region follow suit following the ban in Nottingham and bring the action to their area.
