Police given powers to stop street drinking in parts of Littlehampton and Bognor Regis: this is where

On April 1, a new Public Spaces Protection Order [PSPO] came into force in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, agreed before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shaped by the views of residents and businesses, the PSPO allows authorised officers to tell people to stop behaving anti-socially or drinking alcohol in public, and alcohol

can be confiscated and disposed of.

Anyone who ignores requests from a police officer or authorised council officer may be given a fixed penalty notice of £100 or taken to court.

Councillor Gill Yeates, Arun District Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, said: “These new measures were drawn up after lengthy consultation with both residents and other partners to ensure that the issues that mattered most to people could be addressed in the PSPO.

"“These measures will give designated council officers and the police greater power to disperse groups who are drinking or behaving anti-socially in public.”

Signs highlighting the restrictions will be put up in prominent locations throughout these areas. Maps of the agreed restricted areas are shown in the blue/red lines in the images with this story.

The previous PSPO began in 2017 and expired in March this year - but to 'ensure that public spaces are protected from anti-social behaviour, a new order

has been implemented following consultation with the public and partner agencies', a council spokesman said.

Full details of the Public Spaces Protection Order can be found at www.arun.gov.uk/pspoA message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

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