THE city council could be given the power to fine and prosecute people who feed gulls and cycle and skateboard in a 'dangerous' manner, despite a lack of support from members of the public in a survey.

On Wednesday (October 30) Worcester City Council's communities committee is set to consider a report that proposes introducing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) allowing for £100 fixed penalty notices and court prosecution.

Members will examine the proposals for the city centre PSPO before being asked to agree to launch a four-week public consultation. This follows the results of a survey of residents carried out by the council in March and April that asked for views on a wide range of antisocial behaviour, which included public urinating and defecating.

However, ideas for tackling several offences highlighted by members of the public have been ruled out of the proposed PSPO, either because of a “low level of support” or because the police already have relevant powers, a council spokesman said.

While just 44 per cent of people supported the inclusion of powers to control the feeding of birds, the proposed order includes action to curb the activity, though only in relation to gulls and pigeons.

Similarly, less than 40 per cent of the survey respondents supported the inclusion of dangerous cycling and skateboarding in the PSPO.

But after consulting partners, including the police and Worcester BID, it was decided to include it in the draft because of the impact such behaviour can have on people in the city centre, the spokesman said.

62 per cent of respondents favoured including aggressive begging, i.e. approaching people to beg, loitering near ATMs and causing distress, but only 41 per cent backed the inclusion of powers to prevent people sitting or standing for begging.

The report says that fixed penalty notices would only be issued for aggressive begging after other channels of action have been exhausted.

It says the starting point will always be for rough sleeper support services to approach an individual to offer help, with the aim of helping them back into accommodation.

Councillor Lynn Denham, committee vice chair, said the draft is as a result of the council having “listened carefully to the views of local people about which aspects of anti-social behaviour most concern them”.

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