Fine intimidating balaclava wearers £100, MP says

An MP has said police need to be given extra powers to stop balaclava-wearing gangs plaguing residents of a town.

Labour MP for Darlington Lola McEvoy said she wanted the local council to take advantage of measures which would allow £100 fines to be imposed on anyone wearing a balaclava or other face coverings to harass or intimidate people.

Dozens of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving balaclavas had been logged by police in the town over the last year, she said.

"It's intimidating," she said. "People don't want to go to parks with their kids and it's not right." Darlington Borough Council said it was working with the police to address people's concerns.

The MP said she wanted a public space protection order (PSPO) introduced to cover the whole town.

It would give the police and the council the power to levy the £100 fine against anyone they judge to be wearing face coverings to intimidate and harass.

Councils in parts of Surrey, Essex and the West Midlands have recently introduced similar measures.

Face coverings worn for faith reasons would be exempt.

Local resident Jim Cunningham backed the move.

The retired police officer said parts of the town were being blighted by youths wearing balaclavas while also riding electric and off-road bikes.

He said: "Not only does wearing them give them anonymity, they also give them bravado.

"You see young men invariably zigzagging in and out of the traffic with these electric bikes."

A local shop owner, who wished to remain anonymous, also said gangs of balaclava-wearing youths were causing problems for local businesses.

"What happens every Friday and Saturday night is they are all outside," she said. "Six or seven of them behaving in a really bad manner.

"They get on the rooftops, going up and down.

"They throw food and use bad and racist language but nothing gets done. By the time the police get here, they've gone."

McEvoy said: "There have been 800 cases of anti-social behaviour reported across Darlington between July and October this year. I've seen it myself, everyone has seen it and we need action on it."

A spokesperson for Darlington Borough Council said: "We want Darlington town centre to remain a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

"We understand that seeing people wearing balaclavas or masks can make residents and visitors feel uneasy, that is why we are committed to working with the police to look into these concerns."

Stockton West Conservative MP Matt Vickers said anti-social behaviour was a problem in his constituency too.

He said: "I think we need to give the police and authorities all the tools we can to toughen up on this. I'm pushing my local authority to also include it in a public space protection order."

Durham Police's Insp David Littlefair said most people wearing balaclavas were younger.

He said: "While they may not always be actively participating in criminal behaviour, their actions are making people feel unsafe and unable to use public spaces comfortably.

"Everyone has a right to feel safe where they live, and we share the views of most people who believe that this behaviour has no place in our communities."