Britons to see fines for 'busybody offences' SURGE £400 as Home Office vows to crackdown on car idling and noisy dogs

The Manifesto Club, whose self-professed mission is to campaign against “the hyperregulation of everyday life” has condemned the change as “lazy law-making from the Government which will just lead to more innocent people being punished”.

PSPOs can be issued if a council believes activities conducted in a public space have, or are likely to have, “a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality”.

Data from the Manifesto Club has revealed the number of penalties issued for breach of PSPOs rose by 42 per cent to 19,162 from 2022 to 2023. The London councils of Harrow, Redbridge and Hillingdon handed out the most fines in England and Wales with over 3,000 being issued.

In Hillingdon, over 2,000 penalties were issued to people for leaving their car engine running for more than two minutes; an offence referred to as "idling". One individual punished for this offence was a man waiting to collect his wife from the doctor’s.

With three-quarters of penalties being issued by private enforcement companies who are paid per fine, critics accuse PSPOs of being enforced by companies who are motivated to issue as many as penalties as possible.

The Manifesto Club cited a “noxious cocktail of over-broad laws that are being enforced by private enforcement companies on commission”.

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Research shows that the 39 councils which employed a private enforcement company for PSPOs issued 14,633 penalties in 2023, compared to the 4,529 penalties issued by the 261 councils which did not employ a private company.

These private companies have been accused of broadening the list of punishable offences to include things such as noise, spitting, handing out leaflets, swearing, or cycling in no-cycle lanes.

For example, private enforcement officers in Redbridge issued over 3,000 penalties for spitting, while Harrow listed its penalties as consisting of: feeding the birds, obstruction, and spitting.

There were also penalties issued for begging in twelve councils, and for rough sleeping in two.

Of the more than 6,000 CPNs which were issued in 2023, 914 were issued by Durham council. Over half of the fines were for “untidy yards and gardens”.

“Communities are being plagued by busybody officers on commission, punishing the innocent and interfering with everyday life” according to The Manifesto Club.

“Law-abiding people” are being punished because “a council officer didn’t like their shrubs”.

Similarly, large numbers of CPNs have been previously issued by Nottingham City Council to people for leaving their bins on the street.

As with PSPOs, CPNs have been used to target homelessness, with 19 councils issuing CPNs to restrict begging, and six to restrict rough sleeping.

“The increase in fines will do nothing to tackle crime or improve the quality of life”, the Manifesto Club said.

“This gesture will be cheap for the Home Office but will cost society dear.”

GB News has approached the Home Office for comment.