A MAJOR UK city centre has confirmed a ban on face coverings will be introduced from next week.
The decision follows concerns from residents over a rise in anti-social behaviour and masked crimes.
Nottingham city centre is set to become the first UK city to enforce a ban on face coverings, as the new rules come into place on Tuesday, September 15.
From this date onwards, the police will be able to ask people to remove their face coverings if they “reasonably believe” it is being used to conceal their identity to commit a crime or antisocial behaviour.
Refusal to remove it may result in a £70 on-the-spot fine or potential prosecution – with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
However, this does not include those wearing face coverings for “legitimate reasons” including religious, cultural, health or personal reasons.
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It is also up to the police to decide whether or not the coverings are being worn “legitimately”.
Following a consultation on the issue, which saw more than 90 per cent of the 2,200 respondents support the measure, the council believed the ban would help residents feel safer.
Nigel Farage has previously backed the ban on face coverings, describing them as “a menace”, and had expressed his support in The Telegraph.
He noted that it was not a matter of targeting one group, rather, it was “about saying that in a civilised society, people should be identifiable in public”.
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“If you want to walk on British streets, participate in British public life, and enjoy the protections of British law, you must be prepared to show your face,” he added.
This comes as concerns over crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre peaked in November last year, following a spate of incidents regarding baclava-wearing youths.
As a result, Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, said residents should be able to live in Nottingham “without feeling frightened or unsafe”.
Khan added: “That is why we are taking decisive action and becoming one of the first cities in the country to introduce a restriction of this kind.
“This is not about telling people what they can wear or targeting those who have a genuine reason for covering their face.
“It is about giving authorised officers the power to act where a face covering is being used to help conceal a person’s identity in connection with crime or anti-social behaviour, or where it is worn in a manner that intimidates, harasses, alarms or distresses others.”
New Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) also came into force in the city centre at the end of July.
This gave police extra powers to handle aggressive charity collections, noisy buskers and public urination – among other issues.