Balaclava ban aims to address 'substantial' problems

Offenders wearing balaclavas to hide their identity cause "substantial" problems in Nottingham, a police chief has said as a new ban came into force in the city.

Nottingham has become one of the first cities in the UK to introduce restrictions on balaclavas, allowing police and community protection officers to ask people to remove them if they "reasonably believe" they are being used to conceal their identity to commit crime or anti-social behaviour.

Anyone who refuses to comply could face a £70 fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted, with courts able to impose a maximum fine of £1,000.

Supt Chris Pearson said an "awful lot of people" described being intimidated by balaclavas.

The enforcement will not apply to face coverings worn for legitimate reasons, including religious, cultural, health, work, weather or personal safety reasons.

It will be up to officers to determine whether or not coverings are being worn legitimately.

Pearson, who is the city commander for Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We've seen ourselves, CCTV and video footage of people wearing balaclavas, throwing fireworks, chucking things off the roofs of buildings.

"[The problem] is substantial. They are predominantly very young people, normally young males wearing balaclavas, and sadly, in a lot of circumstances, they are involved in drug dealing, carrying weapons."