Man slapped with £100 fine for urinating against leisure centre in violation of public spaces order

A PCSO spotted the man urinating against Lightwaves Leisure Centre in Wakefield on Saturday.

PCSO Colin Starford had been in the area conducting searches on Hope Street, Lower York Street and College Grove as part of a response to a complaint about fireworks when he saw the man urinating in full view of a member of the public passing by.

The area in question is covered by a PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order), which is council/police order which gives officers extra powers to tackle certain activity banned within the area.

The man gave officers an old address, but police managed to track him down at his correct address on Sunday, where he was given a £100 fine.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "*Pcso Colin Starford was conducting an area search on Hope Street and Lower York Street, College Grove yesterday the 26/09/20, dealing with a nuisance complaint of fireworks being let off in the street by youths when he observed an adult male urinating in a public place behind Lightwaves Leisure Centre in the view of a member of the public driving past.

"This area is in the Public Spaces Protection Area and urinating in public is one of the listed offences which has been regulated for by the court order.

"The male who gave a previous address to the PCSO and claimed to be unaware of the local order has been traced this morning at his correct address, not far from the offence and issued with £100 fixed penalty notice.

"The male's details will now be forwarded to the council's anti-social behaviour unit."