Anti-social behaviour “drop off” in South Bristol area which saw drug use outside primary school

The leader of Bristol City Council says anti-social behaviour (ASB) has dropped off in an area of South Bristol following a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) that was issued earlier this month. Concerns over rising levels of ASB in Southville have been raised over several months around the Aldi bus stop on North Street, Back Road and around the Ashton Gate Primary School.

A meeting on October 26 at the Tobacco Factory, attended by Cllr Tony Dyer (Leader of the Council, Green Party) and Cllr Christine Townsend (Green Party), officers from Avon and Somerset Police and residents of Southville, allowed an open discussion on ASB. The residents told the councillors of the impact of ASB on the community, in particular on children and vulnerable residents.

At the end of the meeting, Cllr Dyer promised that action will be taken and that an update would be issued. Earlier this week, Cllr Dyer wrote to residents about action that was taken by the police force and the steps which will follow.

READ MORE: Bristol's best fish and chips as Kingswood chippy takes top spot

READ MORE: Neighbours from hell kicked out of Bristol home after drug dealing and violence

On November 18, police issued a CBO to Steven James Edmunds, 49, of North Street, which bans Mr Edmunds from begging in Bristol, sitting at any bus stop without intending to travel and sitting at a bus stop with an open canister of alcohol. It also prohibits sitting on North Street or the surrounding area with an open canister of alcohol.

Cllr Dyer said: “As some of you may be aware, last week the police issued a two year banning order to an individual from North Street in regards to their activities around the Ashton Gate area. This is part of ongoing work by the police in the area and this will continue as more evidence is made available.

“As a result of this combination of work, some of you may have noticed a drop off in the amount of ASB and drug dealing in the area, although it has not completely disappeared and we still need to continue with positive actions to ensure that others do not take the place of those who have been removed. The police have reassured me that they do not intend to relax their focus.”

Issues over behaviour on Back Road were brought up within the meeting in October, with Cllr Dyer acknowledging that the unlit street has resulted in drug-dealing and drug-taking in broad daylight. Cllr Dyer added in his email: “In addition, I have also met with Bristol City Council’s community cohesion team and the community development team regarding the upkeep of Back Road, including the potential for interventions to make it less amenable for ASB.”

What was said at the meeting?

Residents had also expressed concern that vulnerable residents were “being exploited” in Southville. One resident said: “I feel like people are not being helped if they’re on the street.”

The residents were also shocked as the level of drug-taking was laid bare by the police. Cuckooing was evident in the area, meaning that the houses of exploited vulnerable people were being used.

The Southville neighbourhood policing team said that it was aware of ASB issues, which included street drinking. It was confirmed that police were looking into a number of potential issues, including a no-drinking zone, but that removing the bus seat outside Aldi was refused.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Stuart Williams later told Bristol Live: "Tackling this sort of ASB can take time, because we have to follow a process throughout which evidence is built up, finally leading to applications to the court. I would stress again the importance of reporting incidents, ideally as they happen, by calling 101 or 999 if someone is at risk of getting hurt or a crime is happening.

"Our response colleagues are always dispatched based on the immediate risk of harm, so may not always attend, but your calls will help us to target our patrols, bid for other resources and allow us to make use of the legislation available."

Looking for Bristol Court & Crime top stories in one place? Sign up for our newsletter here.

What will happen next?

Following on from the meeting, Cllr Dyer said that he was undertaking meetings with the likes of MP Karin Smyth, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Second Step. Cllr Dyer said that the next meeting will be bigger and include more people, which has been indicated within his update email.

Cllr Dyer said: “I also said that we would look to set up a second public meeting in the new year at either Ashton Gate Primary School or St Francis Church. My office team is currently reaching out to both those venues in regards to a meeting on Saturday, January 18.

“At that meeting we will expect to have representatives from the council, the police and other relevant organisations to both respond to any questions and concerns you may have but also to update you on their future plans for tackling ASB both in the Ashton Gate area and the wider neighbourhood.”

Have you been affected by ASB in Southville and Ashton Gate? Contact me at alex.driscoll@reachplc.com.