Council strikes to ban balaclavas after city inundated with anti-social behaviour
Darlington is set to become the next town to bring in a balaclava ban with £100 fines after 800 antisocial behaviour reports by yobs wearing the hood to get up to no good in
Balaclavas are to be banned in one UK town, with a £100 penalty for donning one as part of a clampdown on criminal activity. Darlington in the North East of England could become the latest area to implement the prohibition.
The town has witnessed an uptick in youngsters on quad bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters, donning balaclavas whilst engaging in criminal acts and antisocial conduct, as well as darting through traffic. Some have been reported to be hurling food or spouting racist abuse.
Durham Police logged 800 reports of antisocial behaviour in the town between July and October this year alone. MP Lola McEvoy has urged the council to establish a public space protection order (PSPO) empowering officers to penalise anyone sporting a face covering.
Religious head coverings would be excluded from the proposed ban, the Mirror reports. But this is not the first time a UK council has had to enforce such measures, as authorities across Surrey, Essex and the West Midlands have recently rolled out comparable restrictions.
Ms McEvoy told the BBC: “So many residents have brought [balaclava-clad youths] up with me and that in parks and across the town they are using balaclavas to hide from the police and it’s intimidating, people don’t want to go to the park with their kids. I want to see action taken on it.
“The police said there’s been 100 incidents last year where balaclavas were mentioned and that’s in the town centre alone. There’s been 800 cases of anti-social behaviour in Darlington between July and October this year.”
Speaking to The Northern Echo, she added: “There’s a line, and they’ve crossed it. It is not right that people can use balaclavas to hide their identity and commit acts of ASB without fear of any consequences.”
One local voiced at a community meeting: “I’ve got a few things on my Ring camera with youths in balaclavas early in the morning, goodness knows, doing whatever. These ones in balaclavas are creeping around in the area, and it’s not nice.”
A spokesperson for Darlington Borough Council commented: “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.”
Durham Police Inspector David Littlefair stated: “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.”
This comes despite the fact that balaclavas have become a hot new fashion accessory, as videos showing off various designs have gone viral. Gen Z have become totally obsessed with the bizarre item of clothing, with clips of models wearing the head covering racking up as many as 117million views.
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