COUNCIL bosses are set to approve an order aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour in Burnley town centre.

The area is currently covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order due to expire in November. Proposals to renew the order for another three years are due to go before the council’s executive at a meeting next week.

It sets out the five things people are banned from doing in the centre of town.

The conditions of the proposed PSPO suggest:

1. A blanket ban on begging.

2. Unsolicited charity collection and face to face sales will also be banned.

3. There will be a crackdown on the misuse of bicycles and skateboards.

4. Action will be taken against people found urinating or defecating in public.

5. Unaccompanied under 16s will be banned from the town centre after 11pm.

Streetscene officer Richard Brown said: “The Public Space Protection Order has always been intended to be used both as a preventative tool to assist agencies dealing with the adverse behaviours outlined within the prohibitions and to deter those behaviours.

“It has allowed partners to engage with people in the town centre on a more informal footing allowing them to engage with the pertinent issues whilst having an enforcement measure available, if necessary.

“The existence of the PSPO compliments existing civil and criminal remedies and has been particularly useful with persistent perpetrators that, due to their age, other sanctions are not available or for whom criminal prosecutions in isolation have not positively addressed the anti-social behaviour.

“The power has been successfully used to disrupt the activity of several town centre beggars as well as providing background to two Criminal Behaviour Orders.

“Over the duration of the initial order period, the prohibitions that have been in place have identified safeguarding concerns and opportunities that have been identified and addressed.

“Examples include hotspot issues with young people late at night. In addition, the power has been used by the police to seize bicycles, identify individuals and to work with parents to address this behaviour. All contributing to a safer town centre.”

The existing order has been in place since the November 9, 2016 and expires on November 8.

It allows the council and police to use powers to stamp out anti-social behaviour including begging, unsolicited charity collection, youths hanging around after 11pm and people urinating or defecating in the street.