MP meets the police horses tackling anti-social behaviour at Wolverhampton retail park

An MP praised efforts to crack down on anti-social behaviour at a retail park near Wolverhampton when she met two police horses being used for patrols in the area.

Sureena Brackenridge, MP for Wolverhampton North East, called into the Bentley Bridge retail park in Wednesfield to see how the new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) was helping to tackle nuisance behaviour in the area.

Under the order, police have powers to disperse groups and order people to remove face coverings if they have reasonable grounds to suspect their behaviour is likely to cause nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress.

Mrs Brackenridge said she was particularly pleased to meet police horses Belgravia and Bruce.

“They really were amazing with the public, and certainly got people interested in speaking to the police,” she said.

Mrs Brackenridge also praised new activities aimed at keeping young people out of trouble, including those organised by youth workers from Wolves Foundation and InPower Academy.

“It is vital that while any crackdown features punishments, we also seek to deal with anti-social behaviour at the source,” she said.

“That means more activity for children, giving them something to do before problems occur.”