PEOPLE who cover their faces in Basildon town centre could face fines in an effort to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Basildon Borough Council has agreed to hold a month-long consultation on the plans to extend its public space protection order, which will ban the behaviours.

The council says that since 2022, there has been a continued rise in the number of people wearing face coverings, especially balaclavas, often to commit crimes and engage in anti-social behaviour. 

Council documents also state that a recent consultation was held into the fear and perceptions of crime and safety during the day and night.

According to the council papers, 27.6 per cent of those who took part felt somewhat unsafe in the daytime and 5.2 per cent felt extremely unsafe. It also found 44 per cent of respondents felt extremely unsafe after dark, 44 per cent felt somewhat unsafe, and eight per cent felt neither safe nor unsafe, according to the documents.

Councillors discussed the plans at a meeting yesterday (29 October).

Kerry Smith, portfolio holder for law, order and enforcement, told the meeting, said: "It started originally around face coverings not being banned in the original public space protection order.

"When you see these little darlings on their mopeds riding around or up to no good in the height of summer with their hoodies on and masks on, they've either got an exceptionally rare condition where they don't feel the heat of summer or they don't want to be recognised on camera and other CCTV up to no good.

"Every single person, be it male or female, should feel comfortable in our town centre, any lady, woman, daughter, should be able to walk through our town centre and not be harassed with some sort of Seventies throw back. If people want to do those sorts of horrible things, that makes money for the council, and I am happy to profit from such idiots and criminals and the same with the mask brigade." 

Councillor Emma Callaghan added that the council is walking the walk when it comes to women's safety. She said: "Everything Councillor Kerry Smith has said just shows we're having a multipronged approach to this. Making money off outdated practices of cat-calling and unwanted advances in the borough is good, as it's not where we want to be. We don't want women to feel threatened in any way; we don't want unwanted advances.

"In a recent survey, 42.5 per cent of women feel extremely unsafe in the town centre. This is a really good welcome initiative and just shows we're committed to this."