Plan to curb anti-social behaviour at retail park
BBCPlans to give police more powers to crack down on anti-social behaviour at a retail park in Wolverhampton have been announced.
A public space protection order (PSPO) covering Bentley Bridge Leisure Park has been proposed by the City of Wolverhampton Council.
It follows a "steady increase" in reports involving what the authority described as "large groups of youths" causing issues at the site.
A public consultation on the proposed PSPO will begin on Friday and people will be able to lodge their comments with the council until midnight on 26 February.
City councillor Obaida Ahmed said: "Bentley Bridge is an incredibly popular retail and leisure venue and we want to ensure it remains a welcoming and safe place for everyone to visit."
Under the PSPO, police would be able to ask groups of three or more people to leave Bentley Bridge if there was reason to believe they were likely to cause a nuisance.
They would also have to remove face coverings, the council said, unless there were reasonable grounds to wear them, such as for medical or religious purposes.
The order has been specifically developed to target those responsible and would not affect people gathering to shop or visit venues at the leisure park, the authority added.
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