New city officers to tackle anti-social behaviour

A new team of public space officers has been deployed in Leicester city centre to try to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The six new officers have been recruited by Leicester City Council to reinforce its existing team of street wardens in an effort to make the city centre feel safer.

They have the power to issue £100 penalty notices for offences such as dangerous riding of e-bikes and scooters, street drinking and aggressive begging, which became offences under a public spaces protection order (PSPO) established in 2025.

The officers, equipped with stab vests and body-worn CCTV cameras, are patrolling the city centre 12 hours a day, six days a week, the council said.

Scott White, one of the six officers, spoke to political reporter Dan Martin, and Dominic Gommersal who runs a Jewellers in the city, and Head of Safer Communities at Leicester City Council Nicola Odom spoke to BBC Leicester's Ady Dayman.