Plan approved to stop aggressive begging in Stockton and Norton

Aggressive begging and drunken anti-social behaviour are set to attract fines of £100 in Stockton-on-Tees.

Public space protection orders (PSPOs) have been introduced for Stockton and Norton town centres in an attempt to make them "more welcoming".

The measures will last for three years and the penalties will be imposed by police and Stockton Council officers.

Civil rights group Liberty had previously opposed the plan, describing it as a "blunt tool to punish poverty".

Marc Stephenson, the council's community safety assistant director, said there were challenges in both town centres with alcohol-related disorder and aggressive begging.

He said the authority was at a "crossroads between the rights of vulnerable people" and the safety of public.

"We aren't talking about passive begging in doorsteps or in shop doorways. We are talking about people who set out to exploit the vulnerable for money."

In October 2021, when the authority first considered the plans, it said beggars were offered support and help to deal with issues such as drug or alcohol dependency.

Mr Stephenson said PSPOs would not stop services for people with complex needs. "In fact, it will galvanise that work," he added.

Councillor Norma Stephenson, cabinet member for community safety, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Stockton was "not a den of iniquity".

She said the aim was "one step to actually making it more welcoming and a little bit safer" by protecting residents, businesses and visitors.

"It's also focusing on helping individuals who have found themselves in a position probably most of them don't want to be in."

She said officials would "use persuasion, advice and warning" before fines were issued.

The order is expected to come into force in April.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].