Call to ban balaclavas in city centre

Wearing balaclavas to hide their identities, anti-immigration protesters stage a counter-demonstration during an anti-racism rally in Glasgow in June (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

placeholder image — Wearing balaclavas to hide their identities, anti-immigration protesters stage a counter-demonstration during an anti-racism rally in Glasgow in June (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

Conservatives call for a ban on the face coverings which are now a common site on city streets

Conservatives in Edinburgh are calling for a ban on people wearing balaclavas in the city centre to combat antisocial behaviour.

Edinburgh and Lothian East Conservative MSP Miles Briggs and Conservative City Centre councillor Jo Mowat said the city council should consider a new by-law to tackle what they call “an epidemic” of young males “causing disruption, wearing balaclava or face coverings to keep their identity concealed”.

They said the problem was also being experienced in other cities across the UK and hailed Nottingham City Council for “leading the way” in passing restrictions on balaclavas and face coverings.

Since mid-September, police and council officers in Nottingham can require people in a designated area - such as a city centre - to remove a face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or behave antisocially.

Powers include handing out £70 on-the-spot fines, confiscation of the face covering and referral to an Immediate justice programme requiring community work.

Those who continue to flout the order can be issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order, under which they could be banned from the city centre indefinitely.

Other cities are said to be following suit.

Mr Briggs, said: “Walking around Edinburgh it has become common place to see young men walking or cycling about wearing balaclavas and face coverings.

“This can be very disconcerting for people as a masked group of young men in balaclavas can look very threatening. Often balaclavas and face covering are used to prevent the authorities knowing someone’s identity when they are causing disruption in the city.

“I get a lot of people complaining to me about youths on bikes with their masks, so there’s an element of roaming the streets with these balaclavas but also zooming around on bikes or, in one case I had recently, it was quadbikes.”

He said shopkeepers had told him attacks on shops often involved youths in balaclavas, and he believed there was a wider issue around community safety.

“It’s sad we’ve got to this point, but I think things are getting worse and worse and there needs to be action taken on this.”

He said it was mainly a city centre problem, though smaller towns around Edinburgh are also experiencing it.

“It is clear that councils across the UK are taking action to ban the wearing of balaclavas in communities and I believe the time has come for Edinburgh to also take forward a similar ban to keep our communities safe and restore public confidence,” the councillor added.

Police in Scotland already have powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to require people to remove face coverings that conceal their identity within a designated area and timeframe, the details which have to be authorised by an Inspector or an officer of more senior rank.

The powers can be used if officers believe serious violence may occur, that weapons are being carried without good reason, or that a violent incident has already taken place.