Police set to tackle street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Castleford

A new ‘police room’ has been established at Castleford Market to help the neighbour policing team to be more visible and accessible.

A Public Space Protection Order is in place in the town centre and the neighbourhood policing team is working with local authority colleagues and local businesses to ensure that everyone is working together to tackle street drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

Officers from the Mounted Section have also been joining neighbourhood officers in carrying out high visibility patrols to provide reassurance and deter offending.

Police Sergeant Karl Miller, of the Castleford Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We want the town centre to be an enjoyable place for all and know that street drinking and other anti-social behaviour can really blight people’s perceptions and experience of the town.

“A Public Space Protection Order has now been in place for a few years and was extended at the end of last year. It gives us and local authority colleagues additional powers to tackle illegal drug use and street drinking”

“We hope those living and working in the town centre are reassured by the action that we are taking and would urge anyone with concerns about anti-social behaviour to report it to the appropriate authority.”

The current Public Space Protection Order was put in place in November 2020 and is in place for three years. The order prohibits people in the restricted area from using intoxicating substances or urinating or defecating in a public space.

A police officer, PCSO or authorised council officer can ask that any such substance is surrendered and have the power to issue fixed penalty notices.

More information about reporting anti-social behaviour is available on the West Yorkshire Police website at: How we can tackle anti-social behaviour | West Yorkshire Police