Man fined £400 for public urination

A man has been fined £418 after being caught urinating in public in a seaside town centre.

Marcus Lategan was ordered to pay the sum at North Somerset Magistrates Court on 27 September, following the case brought by North Somerset Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Investigation team.

The offence, which was spotted by witnesses in June in Alexandra Parade, breaks a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which covers all public spaces in the area.

Councillor James Clayton said Alexandra Parade had "recently been a hotspot for anti-social behaviour and street drinking".

The case against Lategan was heard in his absence, and he was found guilty of failing to comply with a PSPO.

Mr Clayton said the council would "continue to increase" its enforcement of PSPOs in the coming months "to challenge anti-social behaviour in our public spaces".

He added: "This successful prosecution demonstrates our continued commitment to tackling this issue. I’d like to thank our ASB Investigation Team for their hard work, and our CCTV control room team, who caught the offence on CCTV."

Councillor Robert Payne, who represents Weston-super-Mare Central, said that tackling anti-social behaviour in the town's centre, particularly in the area Lategan was spotted, was "vital".

"It’s essential that all the agencies take this issue seriously, work together and take a strong line using the available powers, and so I am pleased to see this prosecution as part of this," he added.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.