Two men told to pay more than £600 after breaching order covering Walsall town centre

Peter Pinder, of Wednesbury Road in Walsall, breached the Walsall town centre PSPO by failing to stop drinking when asked by council workers.

The incident happened on May 17, 2022, with the 60-year-old being found guilty of the offence at Dudley Magistrates' Court on November 2.

Pinder was fined £220 for the offence and must pay out £383.89 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge, a total of £637.89.

Meanwhile Richard O'Brien, of Lord Street in Palfrey, breached the same PSPO on September 17, 2022 for the same reasons.

The 37-year-old was found guilty at the same court on November 2 and fined £220 for the offence – and must pay £324.45 court costs and a £88 victim surcharge, a total of £632.45.

Walsall Council's community protection team took the case to court. The PSPO in place in Walsall town centre was put there to tackle anti-social behaviour including street drinking and public urination.

Councillor Garry Perry, deputy leader and portfolio holder for resilient communities at Walsall Council, said, “We want our town centre to be a welcoming and vibrant place. It’s not acceptable to behave in this way, and we will continue to work with the police and other partner agencies to address anti-social behaviour of this type, and ensure Walsall is a great place to live, work and visit.

“One of the offences in Walsall town centre was caught on our newly purchased body worn cameras and when Magistrates viewed the footage in court, they said that council officers should not have to suffer this sort of abuse and thanked them for their work. I agree and commend them for their good work. The negative impact of street drinking and the anti-social behaviour associated with it will not be tolerated and we are committed to taking positive action to tackle this sort of behaviour.”