Fines of £100 for Camden's rowdy outdoor drinkers

Street and outside drinkers could face £100 fines in Camden as part of a crackdown on alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour in the borough.

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to curb "irresponsible" alcohol consumption was approved by the north London council, and will take effect from July.

The order is not an outright ban on drinking in places like parks, but the measures empower police and council enforcement officers to order individuals to stop drinking alcohol, and to confiscate any alcohol from people engaging in antisocial behaviour.

Anyone breaching the conditions by refusing such requests will receive a £100 fine, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The orders were introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They empower local authorities to address antisocial behaviour in specific public spaces within their jurisdictions.

They aim to ensure that public spaces can be enjoyed without interference from antisocial behaviour.

PSPOs replace earlier measures such as designated public place orders, gating orders, and dog control orders.

Camden councillors said the majority of alcohol consumption in the borough was carried out in a responsible way and they wanted people to enjoy themselves, but the order would target community concerns associated with some alcohol consumption.

A consultation gathered local people's worries about outdoor drinking, which included contractors being unable to lock parks due to drinkers refusing to leave, loud music, urinating in public and being rude to passers-by.

The majority of London boroughs have similar restrictions on street drinking in place, including Camden's neighbouring boroughs of Haringey, Islington and Westminster.

The PSPO will last for three years before the council decides whether to renew it. It will be enforced across all of Camden except in Hampstead Heath, which is under the authority of the City of London Corporation.

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