Rishi Sunak threatens increased fines in government crackdown on anti-social behaviour: West Sussex MPs welcome ‘zero-tolerance approach’
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West Sussex MPs Andrew Griffith and Tim Loughton have welcomed the UK Government’s plan to crack-down on anti-social behaviour in communities.
The plan, announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will ‘take a zero-tolerance approach’ to perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and will implement ‘swift and visible’ justice as quickly as within 48 hours.
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Hide AdThe government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan will increase fines for those who graffiti, litter or fly tip – up to £500 and £1,000. The plan will provide £160 million of funding to crack down on anti-social behaviour in parks, high streets and communities.
Mr Griffith, Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs, said: “I know that residents are fed up with anti-social behaviour in our communities and so I am pleased that the Government is implement a plan to stamp it out for good.
“Under the plan, there will be a zero-tolerance approach visibly taken on graffiti, litter, and users of the drug nitrous oxide so we can take pride again in our community.”
The new scheme will also give landlords and housing associations more powers to ‘evict unruly tenants’ who ‘ruin their neighbours’ lives’ through persistent noise. It will also offer an extra one million hours of youth services in areas with the highest rates of anti-social behaviour.
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Hide AdMr Loughton, Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham, said: “I am delighted that the Home Office has announced that Sussex Police has been chosen as one of their new Immediate Justice trailblazer areas.
“Anti-social behaviour is a real concern and recently I met Sussex’ Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne to discuss what the police are doing to combat it, alongside the spate of serious knife crime we have sadly seen recently. Anti-social behaviour is a blight on people’s lives and welcome the Government’s new plan to put a stop to it.”
The government has sent a ‘clear message’ to those who use nitrous oxide or ‘laughing gas’, and leave a litter trail of metal cannisters behind them in play areas and parks.
Hotspot Pilot areas will see an increase in visible policing. Under the new Immediate Justice scheme, those found committing anti-social behaviour will be made to repair the damage they inflicted on victims and communities.
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Hide AdThere is also an ambition for them to start work as soon as 48 hours after their offence ‘so victims know anti-social behaviour is treated seriously and with urgency’.
Kelly Davies – Worthing’s new town centre manager and director of the Worthing Town Centre Initiative (TCI) – said a ‘very important strand’ of the work that the group does is ‘delivering a safer and more welcoming town’ and also ‘improving the ‘visual ‘appeal of the town’.
She added: “We welcome a government focus upon these areas and are pleased to support partnership approaches that will work towards delivering these for Worthing.”
Police and local authorities will have more tools to tackle anti-social behaviour – including expanding drug testing on arrest, banning nitrous oxide and increasing on the spot fines for offences such as graffiti or fly-tipping.