PRESS RELEASE : What the PM’s action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour means for you [March 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 27 March 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“I made a promise in January that we will work tirelessly to crack down on anti-social behaviour. For too long, people have put up with it ruining their neighbourhoods.
These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.
That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all – so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.
This is how the new measures will affect you.
I’m bringing in tougher punishments for criminals
Those responsible for offences such as vandalism or graffitiing will start cleaning up their crimes as quickly as possible, aiming for offenders to start work within 48 hours of receiving an order.
Victims and affected communities will also get a say in deciding what type of punishment or consequences offenders should face, alongside input from local police and crime commissioners.
We are banning nitrous oxide
We will ban nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, putting an end to litter and intimidation in our parks so people feel safer.
We will test more criminals for illegal drugs
The police will also now be able to drug test criminals who take illegal drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamine, and we will drug test offenders who have committed a wider range of crimes, like violence against women and girls, serious violence, and anti-social behaviour.
We’re introducing tougher fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping
We are increasing he upper limit on fines for littering and graffitiing from £150 to £500 and fines for fly-tipping will increase from £400 to £1,000.
We will also support councils to hand out more of these fines to disrespectful offenders, with councils keeping these fines to reinvest in clean up and enforcement.
We’re making evictions of anti-social tenants easier
We are aiming to make it quicker for private landlords to evict anti-social tenants after serving notice, as well as broaden the disruptive and harmful activities that can lead to eviction.
We will also strengthen rules so previous anti-social behaviour perpetrators are deprioritised for new council housing.
By establishing a zero-tolerance approach where offenders know they will face the full consequences of their actions – we can prevent more of these crimes from happening in the first place.
I am determined to tackle these crimes with the urgency they deserve, restoring your confidence that these will be quickly and visibly punished.”
