A city accused of having Britain's worst high street is considering a ban on people wearing balaclavas to help win back shoppers deterred by 'intimidating' youngsters.
asserted
city → accuse → youngsters
The troubled centre of Newport has been highlighted as having the UK's largest amount of empty stores – with one in five vacant last year.
And officials fear anti-social yobs in 'intimidating' face coverings are further putting people off visiting the Welsh city.
asserted
yobs → highlight → city
Conservative councillor Matthew Evans says 'tougher action' is needed to 'improve the lives of residents and traders'.
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action → say → residents
He said his proposed ban on face coverings would include 'exemptions for religious reasons' but said many residents were 'anxious' about people in balaclavas.
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residents → say → balaclavas
The possible clampdown is aimed at face coverings used by yobs and other criminals to hide their identity, often on bikes.
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clampdown → aim → bikes
He said this was 'not intended to be an attack on the human rights of young people' but would target 'those who use face coverings when they rob people and deal drugs in our city centre'.
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they → say → centre
The city council is also looking to take further measures on begging and public drinking as part of a Public Space Protection Order.
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council → look → Order
A ban on balaclavas has been recommended for the centre of Newport - with the Welsh city having suffered from a series of shop closures and calls for action to win customers back
Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, who leads the Labour-controlled local authority, said he wished for the ban to be extended to the rest of the city and not just the centre, saying: 'It's actually a big issue.'
Newport was named the city with the 'worst' high street and most empty units in the UK after a study by the Centre for Cities think-tank last year.
asserted
Newport → recommend → tank
It has since lost a series of stores from its city centre in recent months including Marks and Spencer and River Island and been dubbed a 'ghost town' by locals.
Home Office figures last year also said that 159,000-population Newport had the highest crime rate in the country, with 121 offences committed for every 1,000 people.
asserted
offences → lose → people
The mooted balaclava ban, recommended by councillors and backed in a vote on September 29, will now be considered further by officials ahead of renewing the city centre's Public Space Protection Order.
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ban → moot → Order
Nottingham last month became the first major city to introduce a so-called 'balaclava ban' aimed at tackling crime and anti-social behaviour typically carried out by young men in masks.
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Nottingham → become → masks
Yet the Daily Mail reported how there appeared to be scant impact on the East Midlands city's streets, with masked men seen still roaming the streets on the day the restrictions came into force.
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restrictions → report → force
Police say drug dealers and those carrying weapons use balaclavas to hide their identities.
asserted
dealers → say → identities
The proposed ban was put forward by Matthew Evans (pictured), leader of the Conservative group on Labour-run Newport City Council
A report last year told how Newport had the largest number of empty store units in the UK
Outlets which have been lost include River Island and Marks and Spencer branches
Newport was named the city with the 'worst' high street and most empty units in the UK after a study by the Centre for Cities thinktank last year
Masked men have been seen throwing fireworks from roofs and intimidating members of the public while a gang of balaclava-clad teenagers left a lone pregnant woman in fear when they raided her shop.
The restrictions mean police and council officers can now require people to remove a face covering where their identity is being concealed to commit crime or behave anti-socially.
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identity → propose → crime
The powers include £70 on-the-spot fines, confiscation of face coverings and referrals to an immediate justice programme requiring community work such as litter picking or cleaning graffiti.
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powers → include → graffiti
Those who continue to flout the rules could be issued with a criminal behaviour order, which could ban them from the city centre indefinitely.
uncertain
which → continue → centre
The balaclava ban was welcomed by shoppers but the Daily Mail saw several food delivery drivers seemingly flouting the order.
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drivers → welcome → order
Several safer city partnership officers were seen but they are not able to enforce the sanctions.
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they → see → sanctions
Only police officers and Community Protection Officers can stop people in masks.
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officers → stop → masks
The balaclava ban was introduced by Nottingham City Council after it received responses from more than 2,200 people, with more than 90 per cent of them supporting action to tackle the issue.
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cent → introduce → issue
A cyclist in a face covering is pictured in Nottingham on the day that city's balaclava ban came into force in September 2026
Safety partnership officers were on patrol in Nottingham - but only police have the power to enforce the ban on face masks
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police → picture → masks
Ethan Radford, deputy leader of the council, questioned the need for anyone to wear one, saying: 'It's the city centre - it's not a mountain.
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it → question → one
Unless you're taking part in high-octane adventure sports or in cold weather conditions, why on earth do you need to wear a balaclava?
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you → take → balaclava
'I think people should feel safe to be able to walk around and not have to look over their shoulder, wondering if the person who's covering their face has covered it for nefarious reasons.'
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who → think → reasons
Superintendent Chris Pearson, Nottinghamshire Police city commander, said: 'They are predominantly very young people, normally young males wearing balaclavas, and sadly, in a lot of circumstances, they are involved in drug dealing, carrying weapons.
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they → say → weapons
We saw some particularly nasty incidents in Nottingham city centre last year involving weapons where people had their faces covered.
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faces → see → weapons
And then there's the other side of it, which is that persistent antisocial behaviour, and I can only imagine what it feels like for a member of the public to be enjoying the city centre, everything that it's got to offer, and then seeing a masked male throwing things off a roof at them.
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male → be → them
It would scare you to the point that you don't want to come into Nottingham city and that cannot happen.'
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that → scare → city
Evidence gathered by Nottinghamshire Police identified more than 180 city centre incidents involving face coverings or balaclavas between June 2025 and June 2026.
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Evidence → gather → June
The ban can only be enforced when officers reasonably believe a face covering is being used in connection with crime, anti-social behaviour or intimidating conduct.
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covering → enforce → crime
Exemptions will protect people who wear the coverings for legitimate reasons, including religious, health, medical or work needs.
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who → protect → needs
Wolverhampton City Council previously introduced powers governing face coverings in 2024, also under a public spaces protection order, to help tackle antisocial behaviour in the city centre.
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Council → introduce → centre
That granted West Midlands Police authority to request people to remove face coverings if they have no reasonable grounds to wear them and people are using them to purposely disguise their identity.
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people → grant → identity
Stafford Borough Council approved plans, due to be introduced this December, requiring face coverings to be removed where they are being used in connection with anti-social behaviour or crime.
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they → approve → behaviour
The Aporia
