UK metropolis rolls out new balaclava ban with rule-breakers set for ‘£70 on-the-spot fines’
More than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas occurred between June 2025 and June 2026, evidence gathered by police in the city showed
The use of balaclavas at protest has put fresh focus on existing UK laws(Image: Getty Images)
A balaclava ban will be rolled out in Nottingham starting today to help reduce intimidation and anti-social behaviour.
The ban, which comes into effect on Tuesday, September 15, gives police new powers to issue fines to the public on the spot.
It could even lead to some being banned indefinitely from the city centre for repeated breaches and criminal behaviour order could be issued for those who continue to flout the balaclava ban.
The restrictions mean police and council officers can require people to remove a face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or behave anti-socially, Nottinghamshire Police said.
The powers of the balaclava bank include £70 on-the-spot fines, confiscation of the face covering and referral to an immediate justice programme requiring community work(Image: Getty Images)
“We have listened to people across Nottingham who have told us that they can feel intimidated when they see individuals wearing balaclavas, skeleton masks or other face coverings without a legitimate reason in our city centre,” Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, said last week.
“Our residents should be able to live, work and spend time in Nottingham without feeling frightened or unsafe.
“That is why we are taking decisive action and becoming one of the first cities in the country to introduce a restriction of this kind.”
A consultation by the authority received responses from more than 2,200 people, with more than 90% supporting action to tackle the issue.
More than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas occurred between June 2025 and June 2026, evidence gathered by Nottinghamshire Police showed.
The move is not a blanket ban on face coverings, rather officers are said to be targeting “crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidating conduct”.
Officers are targeting “crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidating conduct”(Image: Getty Images)
Exemptions are in place for those who wear face coverings for legitimate reasons such as religious, health, medical or work needs.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for full face coverings, including those worn for religious reasons, to be banned in public, after masked anti-illegal migrant protesters gathered in Dover earlier this month.
In 2024, Wolverhampton City Council introduced powers governing face coverings, also under a public spaces protection order, to help tackle anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
The order gives West Midlands Police authority to request people to remove face coverings if they have no reasonable grounds to wear them and people are using them to purposely disguise their identity.
