- Amber Rudd is telling councils and police not to target homeless people unfairly
- The Home Secretary is also warning them not to go after buskers or dog walkers
- The number of rough sleepers in England has more than doubled since 2011
Amber Rudd is moving to prevent local councils and police misusing anti-social behaviour laws against rough sleepers, buskers and dog walkers
Home Secretary Amber Rudd today launches an initiative to help the homeless – by ordering town halls not to target them unfairly.
She moved to prevent local councils and police misusing anti-social behaviour laws against rough sleepers, buskers and dog walkers who pose no public nuisance.
Since 2014, Public Spaces Protection Orders have been available to restrict how a particular area can be used. Anyone defying a PSPO faces an on-the-spot £100 fixed penalty notice or a fine of up to £1,000 if it goes to court.
The Home Office has admitted that there were concerns the orders were being used to ‘disproportionately target’ certain groups.
New guidance tells councils and police to focus on specific problems ‘rather than blanket bans of behaviour that are not in themselves anti-social – such as rough sleeping’.
There are more than 9,000 rough sleepers in England, up 134 per cent since 2011.
The Home Office has admitted that there were concerns the Public Spaces Protection Orders were being used to ‘disproportionately target’ certain groups