Ban on young people wearing balaclavas to intimidate members of the public to come into force in Nottingham

New powers to tackle young people wearing balaclavas to intimidate members of the public in Nottingham city centre are set to come into force next week.Nottinghamshire Police said the restrictions, starting on Tuesday, will allow police and council officers to require people to remove a face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or behave anti-socially.The powers, part of a Public Spaces Protection Order, will include £70 on-the-spot fines, confiscation of the face covering and referral to an Immediate Justice Programme requiring community work.The bans are part of a wider plan to make Nottingham safer, after a recent report labelled it the 'seventh most unsafe place in the country'.Evidence gathered by Nottinghamshire Police identified more than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas between June 2025 and June 2026. In July 2024, two balaclava-wearing teens, aged 13 and 19, murdered a 24-year-old man with a brick after he had made 'rude sexual remarks' to two 14-year-old girls.The 13-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and Kai Howitt, 19, were jailed for four and a half years and 14 years respectively for killing Jack Edwards at Sussex Street skate park in Nottingham.Those who continue to flout the order could be issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order, which could see them banned from the city centre indefinitely.It has been stressed the crackdown is not a blanket ban on face coverings, with officers targeting 'crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidating conduct', and there are clear exemptions protecting people who wear face coverings for legitimate reasons such as religious, health, medical or work needs.Nottingham's city commander, Superintendent Chris Pearson, said: 'Any person found to be wearing a balaclava or similar face covering in the city centre, and we suspect they are involved in crime or anti-social behaviour, will be stopped by our officers.'We will then use all the powers at our disposal to ensure they cannot wear that item again.'This is all about disrupting criminality. I can't be clearer – we don't want you in our city centre if you are going to cause these problems. Residents have had enough. Businesses have had enough. We've had enough.' Nottinghamshire Police said the restrictions will allow officers to require people to remove a face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or behave anti-socially Evidence gathered by Nottinghamshire Police identified more than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas between June 2025 and June 2026 Those who continue to flout the order could be issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order, which could see them banned from the city centre indefinitelyNottingham City Council developed the restriction after listening to residents, businesses and visitors who raised concerns about people wearing balaclavas, skeleton masks and other face coverings without a legitimate reason.A consultation launched by the authority received responses from more than 2,200 people, with more than 90 percent supporting action to tackle the issue.Locals in Nottingham were mixed as to whether they would welcome restrictions surrounding the wearing of balaclavas.Pensioner Steve Wheldon (pictured), 70, said: 'I would support a ban all the way.'You simply don't know who is behind one. I can see absolutely no reason why you would want to cover your face in public, especially in the summer when it is 30 degrees, unless you are up to something suspicious.'My wife is always very anxious when she sees a big group of people wearing balaclavas. I definitely think some kind of rules around them in the city centre is a good idea. It would make people feel a lot safer.'Human resources worker Dan Hall, 44, said: 'A lot of the delivery drivers on bikes wear them, which you can understand because they go quite fast, although that is a problem in itself.'Personally I think that is probably quite frightening for older people, these guys more or less in masks whizzing past them on the pavement, and also it makes them very hard to recognise if there is a hit and run accident or something. I don't understand why they can't just wear bike helmets.'Builder Gary Miller, 38, said: 'You see quite a lot of it, especially young men and youths, wearing them in the city, particularly when it is warm, which I always find odd.'I think it is something that has happened since Covid - people realised they could get away with covering their face, and it made them feel a bit invincible, like they could get away with things.'So I would definitely get behind a ban. The only time I wear a balaclava is when I'm fishing at night - no-one needs to in a city centre. It's intimidating, especially for older people. Anyone can see that.'Retired accountant Jonathan Cooper, 77, said: 'It could be problematic for some people, but I think it would be worth a trial ban, to see where it goes.'I think the local shops would certainly welcome it, as I bet it would cut shoplifting right down. You see the young people wearing balaclavas in the middle of summer, and gloves as well, and you just think, 'You must be up to no good'.'Maybe for some of them it is a fashion statement, or they just want to look tough. But for most other people they just look ridiculous.'But photographer Mark Matthews, 57 (pictured), said he could see 'issues' surrounding any ban.He added: 'I get the thought process behind it, and why some of the public would want to see it brought in. But I just think it would be punishing everybody because of the actions of a few.'And I just don't see how it would be enforceable. Would an old lady in the city centre buying Christmas presents for her grandkids in December be ordered to take her balaclava off if she was wearing one because it was freezing cold?'What about homeless people? Would they be told to take theirs off in the middle of winter? And by whom? Would it be based on age to avoid this kind of thing, and so would you see people having to show ID to prove they can wear one?'I just think the council has a lot to think about before they can even think about a blanket ban on them. It isn't black and white, in that all balaclavas are bad. Where do you draw the line? Will scarves around the face be banned, or snoods?'In this day and age, I really do understand that some people have concerns about people having their faces hidden in the street, but I think this would be a case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.'Perhaps the council would be better off looking at the root causes of street crime, and deterring that, rather than something like this. It seems unworkable.'And student Ester Lind, 20 (pictured), said: 'I think a ban would be a terrible idea.'As long as people aren't doing anything wrong, what is the problem? You can't start punishing them for their fashion choices.'People should be free to wear what they like, as long as it isn't grossly offensive to others. This feels a bit like local government overreach to me.'Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden believes the new powers will make it easier for police to take away 'the veil of anonymity that some people try to hide behind'.He added: 'I'm delighted that our immediate justice programme can be used by people who fall foul of this ban, as it will mean they will be made to swiftly and very visibly pay back the community they have harmed.'