Nottingham face covering ban credited with 40% fall in youth antisocial behaviour
One month into Nottingham's city centre face covering restrictions, police report a 40% fall in youth-related antisocial behaviour, and other councils are considering similar zones.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
One month after Nottingham introduced restrictions on face coverings in the city centre, Nottinghamshire Police say the measure is helping to cut crime. Officers can order people to remove face coverings if they are linked to crime, antisocial behaviour or intimidation. The rule is not a blanket ban. It does not apply to coverings worn for religious, health, medical or work reasons.
Police have issued few fines so far. The maximum fine is £70, but officers can also use sanctions such as litter-picking or removing graffiti. Eight youngsters have been banned from the city centre for wearing a face covering to commit crime, and more than 40 are on a police watch list. Parents are involved in cases, and police say most have been supportive.
The face covering rule is part of Operation Reclaim, a wider crackdown. Police say Operation Reclaim has produced over 1,000 arrests. They report a 40% fall in youth-related antisocial behaviour since the operation began, and a 10% fall in drug dealing and knife crime. More than 90% of the public backed a face covering restriction, according to figures cited. Police say there are far fewer balaclavas in the city centre and that the message is getting through, though they accept it is early days.
Other councils are watching. Stafford plans similar measures later this year, Loughborough is considering them, and there are calls for Coventry to bring in restrictions. Nottingham is being treated as a blueprint.
Not everyone is convinced. Some young people and youth workers say the ban may not address root causes. Aaron, who used to wear a balaclava, said he did so to hide abuse and social anxiety, and warned that police may judge people as troublemakers when they are not. Romane said councils need to tackle broken homes and poverty. A private security company said the ban had made no difference in its experience, and some youths may wear balaclavas deliberately as a game. Kingsley, who works with young people at the Pythian Club, said some are criminals, but others are scared and wear coverings because of past decisions or conflicts.
During a night patrol, civil enforcement officers said the streets are not always quiet, with reports of antisocial behaviour and large groups of youths. Police out in Old Market Square approached people wearing face coverings and most complied. Officers say they have had to challenge very few people, and they believe the measure is making a difference as a preventative tool.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Since Operation Reclaim began, youth-related anti-social behaviour fell by 40%, while drug dealing and knife crime fell by 10%. | ||
| Only on one channel | ||
| Eight young people were banned from the city centre over face coverings worn to commit crime, and more than 40 were placed on a police watch list. | Not reported by Channel 5 | |
| More than 90% of the public were reported to support a face covering restriction that formed part of Operation Reclaim. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by ITV |
| Nottingham police can require people linked to crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidation to remove face coverings, with fines of up to £70 for refusing. | Not reported by ITV | |
| Operation Reclaim was reported to have produced over 1,000 arrests. | Not reported by Channel 5 | |
| Stafford plans to introduce similar measures later this year, Loughborough is considering them, and there are calls for Coventry to adopt restrictions. | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
5 News asked whether the ban is working and gave significant space to sceptics. It looked at underlying causes, including abuse, social anxiety and poverty, and included private security staff who said the measure had not changed behaviour. It also listed Stafford, Loughborough and Coventry as areas where similar rules are being considered.
- “I wore a balaclava because I wanted to hide the fact that I was being abused at the time because it made me feel really uncomfortable being a socially anxious person.”
- “It may decrease it a bit but it's not going to fully stop.”
- “Around the streets it might be different but from our experience it's definitely not changed at all. If not it's got worse.”
ITV put viewers on patrol with police and framed the first month as a success. It focused on enforcement details, watch lists, arrests under Operation Reclaim and parental involvement, with less space for critics of the ban.
- “I think that walking around in the city centre, there are far fewer balaclavas than there were.”
- “We've been out every single day in Nottingham City looking for those individuals who are wearing face coverings and involved in crime and antisocial behaviour, and actually we've had to challenge very few people.”
- “In most cases they're supportive, which is really good news.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.