Nottingham is set to become one of the first cities in the UK to introduce restrictions on wearing face coverings, with police gaining the power to issue £70 on-the-spot fines from September 15. The new order follows reports of intimidation and anti-social behaviour from youths in the city centre.
New powers for police and council officers
From Tuesday 15 September, police and council officers will be able to require any person to remove their face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or anti-social behaviour. Those who refuse can be issued a £70 fine, have the face covering confiscated, and be referred to the Immediate Justice Programme.
The Immediate Justice Programme requires young people to carry out community work such as litter picking or graffiti removal in the city centre. Repeat offenders could face a Criminal Behaviour Order, which would ban them from the city centre indefinitely.
Over 180 incidents recorded in 12 months
Nottinghamshire Police identified more than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas between June 2025 and June 2026. Around 75 per cent of these incidents took place in locations such as Old Market Square, Clumber Street and the area around the Victoria Centre.
City Commander, Superintendent Chris Pearson, said: "There is only one reason that young people come into the city wearing balaclavas – and that is to conceal their identity to commit crime and intimidate members of the public and our business community. Not any longer. Your time is up."
Pearson added: "Any person found to be wearing a balaclava or similar face covering in the city centre, and we suspect they are involved in crime or anti-social behaviour, will be stopped by our officers. We will then use all the powers at our disposal to ensure they cannot wear that item again."
Exemptions for legitimate reasons
The measure is not a blanket ban on face coverings, as balaclavas remain legal to wear in the UK. The restriction will only be used when officers reasonably believe a face covering is being used in connection with crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidating conduct.
Clear exemptions will protect people who wear face coverings for legitimate reasons, including religious, health, medical or work needs. Nottingham City Council introduced the restriction following a public consultation.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: "This restriction makes it easier for police and partners to stop crime and antisocial behaviour in its tracks by taking away the veil of anonymity that some people try to hide behind."
Godden added: "It also gives the majority of people who enter our great city the peace of mind and increased confidence that they will be safer, because any criminals who come here will find it increasingly difficult to operate without being seen by the city's multi-agency array of high-visibility officers, network of CCTV cameras, and facial recognition cameras."
Pearson also highlighted the city's facial recognition van and high-visibility patrols, stating: "There really is nowhere to hide. We hope that other parts of the country will look at what we are doing in Nottingham and that these measures will become introduced in other towns and cities."
