Offenders in jumpsuits to clean police cars in anti-social behaviour crackdown

Offenders wearing jumpsuits will be made to wash police cars as part of Rishi Sunak’s crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Ministers will announce new measures to discourage low-level crime, including public punishments and a requirement for offenders to begin cleaning up graffiti within 48 hours.

The Telegraph understands that offenders will be made to wear jumpsuits or fluorescent jackets to make them more visible to the public as they carry out punishment tasks including washing police cars, litter-picking and scrubbing graffiti.

The new approach will begin in 10 areas before being rolled out across England and Wales next year.

Ministers will increase the number of offenders required to pick litter as part of Keep Britain Tidy, a national clean-up campaign.

Victims and local communities will also be given a say in what sort of punishment is meted out to people who engage in anti-social behaviour.

Police recorded 1.2 million incidents of anti-social behaviour in England and Wales in the year ending June 2022, a 16 per cent decrease on the year ending March 2020. Offences were particularly high in the year ending June 2021 because of reports of breaches of Covid regulations, the Office for National Statistics said.

‘These are not minor crimes’

Mr Sunak said: “For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods. These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.

“That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.”

The new punishments will apply to those who commit low-level crimes such as public drug use, graffiti and fly-tipping.

Mr Sunak, in an interview in the Mail on Sunday, said: "The community fightback starts now."

Flytippers will have to pay more than double for on-the-spot fines, which will increase from £400 to £1,000 and those who are caught littering or spraying graffiti will face £500 fines instead of paying a maximum of £150.

The Government is also expanding the community payback initiative, which hands similar punishments to more serious criminals, from five million to eight million hours of work per year.

The plans are expected to include a review of whether benefits should be docked from offenders who persistently breach anti-social behaviour orders.

People caught in public with nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, could be prosecuted under plans to prevent littering and health problems in young users.

Sale of the gas, other than for legitimate purposes including to chill food, is also expected to be banned. At present, the Psychoactive Substances Act only bans the knowing or reckless supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation.

Police may also be given powers to drug test people arrested for anti-social behaviour offences. The power is currently limited to burglary, robbery, theft, fraud, begging and possession of class A drugs.

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has said she intends to toughen drug laws and crack down on possession and use of cannabis.