Thee will be tough new penalties for dog walkers, street drinkers and anyone involved in anti-social behaviour
With the Crime & Policing Act 2026 due to take effect on June 29 this year, local authorities will have greater flexibility in how they tackle anti-social behaviour, and a community enforcement expert has warned that fines could be ‘over double’ the current penalties.
John Roberts, Chief Services Officer of Kingdom Local Authority Support (LAS), who supports councils up and down the country to tackle anti-social behaviour such as fly-tipping, littering, street drinking and dog fouling, says many people may be unaware of the legislative changes due to come into effect later this month and that actions such as public drinking, that breach a PSPO, will soon carry ‘over double’ the cost.
“The Crime & Policing Act 2026 is due to give local authorities unprecedented powers to combat issues such as dog fouling and public drinking,” says John. “The legislation increases the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) level for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) from £100 to £500. It’s important to note that this is not an automatic increase, but it does give councils the ability to set penalties at a higher level where appropriate.
“This brings PSPO-related offences more in line with other environmental enforcement powers, such as littering, and reflects the fact that some breaches — including issues like persistent public drinking, dog fouling, or other anti-social behaviour — can have a significant and lasting impact on local communities.
“Used proportionately, this increase in the maximum penalty provides councils with a stronger deterrent against repeat or more serious offences, helping to protect public spaces and improve community wellbeing.”
In recent years many councils across England have brought in PSPOs (Public Spaces Protection Orders) to prohibit certain behaviours – especially within inner city centres. These behaviours range from dog fouling and public drinking to littering.
In short, from June 29, if you’re found to be in breach of a PSPO that specifically references public drinking, you could risk a fine of up to £500 depending on whether that council will be utilising the new upper limit an individual in breach can be fined for.
“Breaching a PSPO is considered a criminal offence,” says John. “Ultimately your actions are your responsibility and predating these changes many PSPOs, especially in university-residential areas or town centres, already enforce these measures against actions like public drinking.”
Introduced under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, PSPOs are a local authority measure that prohibit or mandates specific behaviours in designated public areas to reduce violence, anti-social behaviour, or even smaller scale issues such as instances of dog fouling.
John said: “If you feel you’ve been wrongly issued an FPN for breaching a PSPO, general practice allows you to appeal in the High Court within six weeks of it being issued to your person.
“I’d advise anyone concerned about such issues in their locality to check online and around town centres in particular whether a PSPO is in effect.”
The Crime & Policing Act 2026 is a massive, wide-ranging piece of UK legislation that received Royal Assent on April 29, 2026. It marks a major overhaul in how crime is handled in the UK, affecting everything from everyday street policing and protest laws to corporate boardroom accountability.
The Act officially became law on April 29, 2026, but its various provisions are being phased in. A major milestone is June 29, 2026.
As well as new powers for local authorities, it grants police new powers as well. For example, police now have explicit powers to enter and search premises without waiting for a warrant if a stolen item (like an iPhone or a car) is being actively tracked there via GPS, Bluetooth, or cellular data.
It strengthens law enforcement’s powers to access online cloud accounts (like iCloud, Google Drive, or social media) directly from seized electronic devices and police can now test detained individuals upon arrest for a wider range of Class B and C drugs if they are suspected of violent crimes linked to drug use.
Senior police officers can now restrict a march or rally by looking at the cumulative disruption of past, concurrent, or future protests in the area, even if they are hosted by entirely different groups. It creates a new criminal offence for concealing your identity (such as wearing a face covering to hide your identity) during a protest without a valid reason (like health or religion).
New powers extend to the police
Protesting outside a politician’s or public official’s private home is now restricted, as are protests near places of worship that deter people from entering.
It creates a specific, standalone criminal offence for assaulting a retail worker, offering shop staff heightened protection. It also repeals older rules to ensure all shop theft is prosecuted, regardless of the monetary value. It introduces “Respect Orders” and also gives police the power to immediately seize vehicles being used anti-socially without giving a warning first.
It makes “cuckooing”—where criminals take over a vulnerable person’s home to use it for criminal activity (like drug dealing)—a specific criminal offence. Online platforms face strict penalties if they fail to remove illegal knife sales.
Retailers face tougher age-verification checks for online weapon sales and must report bulk purchases of blades and it extends existing racially and religiously aggravated offences to provide equal protection for hostility based on sex, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.
