Drugs, violence and trouble - Birmingham's anti-social behaviour hotspots revealed

Police dealt with nearly 1,500 incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Birmingham city centre last year, with one area topping the list for offences. A total of 1,452 ASB incidents were recorded in the area covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order from August 2023 to July this year, new figures show.

The current city centre order - which includes street drinking, graffiti and drug abuse - also includes surrounding areas including Ladywood, the Jewellery Quarter, parts of Nechells and Digbeth. The PSPO legislation gives police extra powers to take action against anti-social behaviour in designated public spaces - and could be extended to include other types of offences next year.

A public consultation is currently under way on plans to add 'aggressive begging' and cycling in pedestrian areas to the city centre order. Birmingham City Council released detailed new figures highlighting the number and types of offences police addressed last year under the existing PSPO.

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The data revealed Digbeth Coach Station was the top location for anti-social behaviour in the city centre last year, with officers dealing with 31 instances of anti-social behaviour at the location from August 2023 to July this year. The majority of ASB incidents at the location involved rough sleepers refusing to leave the station, violent behaviour and drunken behaviour.

But the primary hotspot for combined anti-social behaviour offences was the area surrounding New Street station. The top location was Stephenson Street where police dealt with 20 recorded ASB incidents. Fourteen offences each were recorded on Washington Street and Cherry Street, with a further 12 recorded on New Street near the Odeon cinema.

Stephenson Street, which incorporates the famous 'Ramp', was identified as a top ASB location on West Midlands Police systems in the council document. It was described as a 'common location for drunken altercations.'

Birmingham city centre accounted for 14 per cent of the total 10,174 ASB incidents across Birmingham last year. The majority of reports pertained to fighting, rough sleeping and drugs.

These figures were released as part on an ongoing public consultation around the 2025 Birmingham city centre PSPO. The council is currently seeking feedback on plans to ban aggressive begging and illegal street trading in parts of the city centre, with a second consultation on cycling in the city centre soon to be launched.