A legal order giving authorities greater power to curb anti-social behaviour in most of Redditch town centre is now formally enacted.

Redditch Borough Council made and has enacted the Public Space Protection Order, or PSPO, after consulting on the proposals.

Redditch Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community and Regulatory Services, Cllr Lucy Harrison, said: “This order means that authorities now have more ability to quickly tackle the kind of anti-social behaviour issues that many people have been concerned about in the town centre.”

Notices advising of the new PSPO can be viewed at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/consultations as well as at the Town Hall, police station (inside the Kingfisher Shopping Centre), library, and train station.

Council Leader, Cllr Matt Dormer, added: “I’d like to thank the police and all our community safety partners who have worked together with our team on this, which will provide that extra confidence for the community.”

The PSPO makes it an offence to refuse, when asked by a police officer or authorised council officer, to surrender alcohol, intoxicating substances and the items used to take them, or to refuse an instruction to leave the area for a set period of time.

It gives authorised officers additional powers to quickly deal with people behaving anti-socially inside the area covered by the PSPO, by asking them to leave the area for a set period of time, confiscating alcohol and intoxicating substances, issuing fines, or if necessary making arrests.

The order was requested by West Mercia Police and followed concerns from members of the public, businesses, and local organisations.

Details of the order can be found at www.redditchbc.gov.uk/TownCentrePSPO

ENDS