Begging and e-scooters ban approved in city centre

Anyone caught begging, drinking alcohol on the street or riding an electric bike or scooter dangerously in Wolverhampton city centre faces being banned from the area after councillors approved a new measure.

A public space protection order (PSPO) to crack down on anti-social behaviour and tackle the area's "unwelcoming" reputation was agreed during a council meeting on Wednesday.

The order will give police the power to ban anyone from the city centre for 24 hours if they are causing or though likely to cause nuisance, disorder, harassment, alarm or distress.

It will be in place for three years.

The PSPO will cover the entire area within the city centre ring road as well as Molineux Stadium and the neighbouring Asda supermarket, the city's railway station, St John's Retail Park and Sainsbury's St Marks on Raglan Street.

The council said ongoing reports from residents and businesses highlighted issues including drug taking, street drinking, aggressive begging, loitering and dangerous e-scooter and e-bike use.

Speaking at the meeting, councillor Obaida Ahmed said previous work such as increased police patrols and the use of existing dispersal powers had "not fully addressed the frequency or impact of the [anti-social] behaviours reported".

She said the PSPO would provide "clearer and consistent expectations for use of public spaces" and "better support a more welcoming and inclusive city centre".

Behaviours covered by the order include:

• Street drinking
• The possession and consumption of drugs
• Loitering
• Aggressive begging
• Urinating and defecating in public
• Restricting or blocking doorways with fire exits,
• Playing loud music in public spaces
• Illegally riding, cycling or using an e-bike or e-scooter

Crime figures for the end of 2025 showed the number of incidents reported in the city centre had increased by more than 10% when compared to the previous year.

The council recently approved a three-year PSPO for Bentley Bridge Retail Park, giving police the same powers to disperse groups of three or more if they are causing or likely to cause a nuisance.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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