@c5news: Face coverings are now banned in Nottingham city centre. From today, police and community protection officers will be able to ask people to remove face coverings if they "reasonably believe" they are being used to conceal their identity to commit crime or anti-social behaviour. Refusing to do so could result in a £70 penalty notice or prosecution with courts about to impose a maximum fine of £1,000. The ban does not apply to face coverings worn for legitimate reasons, including religious, cultural, health, work, weather or personal safety reasons. Officers will determine whether or not coverings are being worn legitimately. The leader of Nottingham City Council, Neghat Khan, said residents had felt intimidated when they saw people wearing balaclavas, skeleton masks or other face coverings without a legitimate reason. He told the BBC that residents "should be able to live, work and spend time in Nottingham without feeling frightened or unsafe”. Superintendent Chris Pearson said an "awful lot of people" described being intimidated by balaclavas, a problem he said was “substantial”. "We've seen ourselves, CCTV and video footage of people wearing balaclavas, throwing fireworks, chucking things off the roofs of buildings. 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." The ban comes after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for full face coverings, including those worn for religious reasons, to be banned in public, following masked protesters gathering in Dover. Stafford Borough Council approved plans to prohibit balaclavas as part of its updated public spaces protection order earlier this year and community leaders in the West Midlands have also said they would like to see their region follow suit. #5news #BALACLAVA

Jean-Luke (T1D) :

Genuine question, if health or religious reasons are exempt is this exemption overruled if the police believe they are committing an offence?

user9325808118583 :

They should be banned everywhere all the time.

Mike evans :

what happens with the ones that blow up

Paul L. 🥓 :

He said antisocial behavior😳 I'd be cooked

S Kohn :

This implementation must be rolled out across London regardless whoever you are.

Wo11f :

They need to bring this to London

Skeet :

London calling

alex :

Nothing will happen

Playstation 30 Years Old 1994. :

What if you got some sort of disease or a really bad cold. 😳😳

Jordonsky🌌✝️ :

Just make it for the uk

Andy :

Good

Jason :

is ever one

11. :

. :

and veils?

jasperoo :

about time

Robbie :

they will just make it up as they go along, just like everyday

Robson🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷London :

100% agreed. this should be done in London !!!!

Monopoly_pops :

Why not burkas?

Wo11f :

👍🏾

Mrs roshan :

👌👌👌

Nicole :

police brutalise a trans activist in Portsmouth

lmc50 :

what happens at for example pro Palestinian marches with burqas....or antifa leftie protests with masks....are they treated tge same???