New Rules Targeting Anti-social Behaviour Introduced
Professional beggars and people wearing face coverings now risk fines
Members of the council's law enforcement team talking to a member of the public. Picture H&F
Council
February 16, 2026
Groups of professional beggars and people using face coverings to hide their identity risk being fined in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as the local authority cracks down on anti-social behaviour (ASB). Hammersmith and Fulham Council has introduced a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering the entirety of the borough, which officials claim will “reduce incidents of ASB that cause harassment, alarm and distress.”
PSPOs are implemented by local authorities to address problems typically affecting a particular area. They enable the council and police to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 to people caught engaging in prohibited behaviour, reduced to £60 if paid within 10 days. The PSPO, which was recently approved by Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Community Safety Cllr Rebecca Harvey, details new actions to be restricted for a period of three years.
These are: professional and aggressive and/or persistent begging, gathering in groups of two or more “for the purposes of engaging in anti-social behaviour”, and wearing a face mask to conceal an identity. The last restriction will not be enforced against anyone wearing a covering due to their religion, faith or cultural beliefs, nor those with a health reason or when it is required by, as it was during Covid.
On professional begging, a council paper notes that beggars who “arrive in groups are often professional beggars and beg as a source of income as opposed to genuine poverty”. The paper continues: “Evidence of professional begging includes groups of beggars arriving and departing at the same time, refusing offers of support, suggestions that they are unable to speak and/or understand English, and those engaged in criminality may present their name and address details on a piece of paper when asked for information by enforcement officers.”
The proposal to introduce a new PSPO addressing ASB was first presented to the council’s Cabinet last September. A consultation held from September 12 to October 24 drew 644 responses, the vast majority of whom backed the proposals in the draft PSPO.
The most support was shown for the proposal to ban aggressive and/or persistent begging, with 87.8 per cent agreeing with its introduction. The restriction on professional begging was backed by 87.5 per cent of respondents, with all of the proposals getting north of 80 per cent.
Less support was however received to a bespoke survey created for young people, in which 23 individuals took part. The proposal for professional begging in particular had few respondents in-favour, with just 30 per cent backing its introduction.
According to the paper prepared by council officers on the PSPO: “The low level of support was due to the difficulties they felt there would be with enforcement of the restrictions as behaviours are difficult to define and take action against, for example there is nothing to stop people running away. They did however agree that these issues were a problem in Hammersmith and Fulham that needed tackling.”
Evidence is also provided supporting the PSPO, including a table demonstrating the number of begging dispersals the council’s Law Enforcement Team (LET) had carried out in the last few years. The table details how this number had risen from 155 in 2022/23 to 256 in 2023/24 and 267 in 2024/25. For 2025/26 between April 1 and October 30 138 such incidents were recorded.
Alternative options were presented by officers, including that the measures are introduced but only in the evenings or certain locations, but Cllr Harvey resolved to go with the recommendation and approve the PSPO in-full. In a paper outlining the decision it is noted that if the PSPO is introduced, “comprehensive training for all staff responsible for issuing warnings and fines would be administered, in line with a clear enforcement policy”.
The ASB PSPO is not the first introduced by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. On a page listing its live PSPOs entries include alcohol consumption in public spaces, responsible dog ownership, both of which are borough-wide, and responsible street entertaining, specific to Hammersmith Town Centre, Shepherd’s Bush and White City.
In 2024 the council also rolled out a borough-wide street harassment PSPO covering offences such as sexualised comments, flashing and catcalling.
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter