New anti-drinking rules have been introduced for Kent’s “highest anti-social behaviour hotspot”, where 73% of crime reported is for “rowdy or drunken conduct”.
One councillor welcoming a raft of new measures aimed at combatting problems witnessed across Thanet claimed that Margate has been subject to an “invasion of gangs and troublemakers on our beaches”.
Police have been forced to intervene to tackle anti-social behaviour on Broadstairs beach this summer
Thanet District Council (TDC) has long been seeking to renew a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) across the district, but focusing on Margate and Ramsgate.
Last year, the effort was dogged by threats of legal challenge from the Free Speech Union (FSU) over provisions on foul or abusive language.
However, after a long delay, the kinks have been ironed out and on Thursday night (June 25), TDC’s cabinet voted to approve the new rules.
Cabinet member for community Cllr Heather Keen (Lab) described the document as a “robust three-year order to tackle persistent nuisance behaviour”.
She explained: “Rowdy or drunken conduct accounts for 73% of all law enforcement incidents in the Margate town hotspot – the highest anti-social behaviour hotspot in Kent”
“These behaviours degrade our public areas, disrupt local trade, undermine tourism and pose clear public health risks.”
Police at Margate railway station on Wednesday evening. Image from livestream from @abankspam/TikTok
Thanet District Council (TDC) has long been seeking to renew a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) across the district. Picture: Carl Hudson
The PSPO includes a year-round ban on public drinking in Margate and Ramsgate’s high streets “where nuisance behaviour is persistent all year round,” Cllr Keen said.
Across the whole of Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Cliftonville West, public drinking is a violation of the PSPO “if an individual is actively causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress,” she said.
Urinating or defecating in a public place other than a serviced toilet is also prohibited as part of a “universal bodily fluids ban”.
PSPOs mean that police officers or council enforcement officers have the power to issue on-the-spot fines or initiate court proceedings against those who violate them after being warned.
The move was met with widespread support from councillors, with Cllr Brenda Rogers (Con) saying: “I welcome this PSPO and hope there will be enough enforcement and police officers to deal with this invasion of gangs and troublemakers on our beaches as it seems to be escalating.”
It comes in the week of a heatwave in the county, which has seen large crowds of out-of-town visitors descend on Margate’s beach in particular.
Cllr Heather Keen told the cabinet Margate town centre is the “highest antisocial behaviour hotspot in Kent”
One incident saw arrests being filmed by bystanders, while police released bodycam footage of officers chasing a suspect along Margate beach earlier this week.
Cllr Rogers asked if there were plans to hire more enforcement officers to implement the PSPO, to which Cllr Keen replied: “I don’t know that there are any plans to employ more officers but I do know that we have a robust response among our police colleagues already in place, which is going to be monitored as the season goes on.”
“The issue of enforcement is going to be the crucial one,” said Cllr Tricia Austin.
“Happily in Ramsgate we’ve not suffered the same as Margate and Broadstairs in recent days but we have had a long-term issue in Ramsgate,” she added.
The cabinet voted unanimously to pass the PSPO, which will officially come into force from July 1, and last for three years.