Defecating in public, nuisance drinking and “aggressive begging” could land culprits in Welwyn Garden City with a fine.

According to a council report, there is “rivalry” among people who use drugs and beg for money in Welwyn Hatfield – with threats of violence and arson attacks in the borough.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s officers have suggested a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) could equip authority enforcement crews and the police with tools to tackle anti-social behaviour and county lines drug dealing.

The plans, published ahead of a council cabinet meeting on Tuesday, October 10, show the PSPO would cover The Campus, Bridge Road, the Howard Centre, Howardsgate and Parkway.

A PSPO already covers Hatfield town centre and bans public drinking, begging, urinating or defecating in public, and sleeping outdoors or in car parks.

“Some individuals who are rough sleeping are known by the police and the council’s anti-social behaviour team to beg the public for money and drink alcohol in the town centre,” the report reads.

“Reports relating to these people have increased, which include reports of drug use, needle finds, verbal abuse to residents, urination and defecation in a public place, with residents feeling generally unsafe in the local area as a result.

“It should also be noted that there is increasing tension between these individuals that are rough sleeping or begging.

“There have been threats of violence, physical altercations, arson attacks and rivalry between them.

“There is also strong evidence that those who are begging are using money given by residents to fund drug and substance misuse.

“This has in turn led to an increase in drug dealing activity in the area.”

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The report adds Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has its own council housing options service which works with various organisations – including Resolve, Herts Young Homeless, Druglink and One YMCA.

But “despite a commitment to approach individuals that have been reported as rough sleeping, and to offer assistance to get them away from a life on the streets or in the open, many such attempts are declined with the individuals refusing to engage with any support services”.

The PSPO will prohibit people from loitering within 10 metres of any pay machine – including banks and car park machines – unless they are “waiting legitimately to use the machine for the purpose it is designed for”.

It would prohibit people from sitting on the ground in a public place in a way which might suggest they are asking for money, and sleeping in a public place.

Unlicensed alcohol-drinking in the open will also be among the prohibitions.

Anybody who breaks the rules could face a penalty of £100, or a fine of up to £1,000 if the case reaches the Magistrates’ Court.

When the cabinet meets, they will debate approving a consultation to ask the public for their views on the proposals.

Government statistics show that on a “snapshot” day in autumn 2022, there were 285 rough sleepers in the East of England.

This is down from 458 on a similar “snapshot” day in 2019, and 615 in 2017 – but up from 276 a decade ago in 2012.

Hertfordshire Constabulary recorded 3,464 reports of drug crime and anti-social behaviour in Welwyn Hatfield in the year to July 2023, according to national police data.

This is slightly up from 3,432 the previous year.