POLICE are to have greater powers in curbing anti-social behaviour across Slough - including on-the-spot fines of up to £100.

The new initiative follows a second public consultation on a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), that received positive feedback from residents.

The order comes into force today (Friday).

It will allow the police to crack down on activities such as street drinking, urinating in public, and spitting. Signs warning of the new penalties will be installed across the areas that the new order covers.

Police will now be able to issue instant fines for those caught, or take them to court to face prosecution, where they could be fined as much as £1,000.

PSPO’s were introduced by the government in 2014, and expand on previous anti-social protection orders, such as ‘no drinking zones’ (formally Designated Public Place Orders) and gating orders.

The PSPO will encompass most of Slough, except for most of Cippenham, the trading estate, much of Manor Park, and some areas of Langley, where relatively low levels of anti-social behaviour have been reported.

Councillor Arvind Dhaliwal, cabinet member for regulation and consumer protection for Slough Borough Council, said: “The residents of Slough have a right to expect their neighbourhoods to be clean, and provide a decent standard of living for the people who live there.

“We’ve listened carefully to the concerns of our residents and studied four years of data from the council and emergency services to identify the areas that would benefit most from a PSPO.

“Council officers and the police are often best placed to deal with lower-level, anti-social behaviour and this order will give them greater powers to act.”

Det Ch Insp Nikki Pierce said: “Together we will use this order to stamp out unacceptable behaviour in the borough, helping to keep our public spaces safe, clean, and pleasurable to live in.”

For more information about the areas included visit www.slough.gov.uk/parking-travel-and-roads/public-spaces-protection-orders-pspos.aspx