TOWN hall chiefs believe a public sector protection order (PSPO) will help make Bolton town centre a more welcoming place.

The order will give the authority extra-powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour such as aggressive begging, 'chugging' and unlicensed busking.

But while some believe a PSPO is sorely needed, others say it will penalise some of the most vulnerable people on the borough.

The Bolton News has spoken to people on both sides of the argument.

The case for:

Michael Hughes, deputy manager at Waterstones, in Deansgate, said he would welcome a PSPO.

He said: “Anything that brings additional help and protection is needed.

“It helps the council as there’s not enough police around at the moment , which the council is not responsible for — the cuts from central government have forced that on them.

“If it helps the council to help us it’s a good thing.

It’s always going to be a source of conversation in the town until there’s anything like a reasonable solution to it.”

And Alex McVey, who owns Exchange Street cafe Odessa, said he backed the PSPO as the town centre was beginning to feel “unsafe”.

He said: “We are definitely in favour of it, but it’s fallen so far, how are they going to grips with it? It’s quite sad really. When we were in the market hall about 10 years ago there were bits of trouble, but nothing like it is now.

“It’s very much needed but it needs to be 24-hour and I don’t know how they do that and implement that — perhaps a security team all around the town centre for a limited period of time.”

The case against:

Rosie Brighouse, lawyer for human rights campaign group Liberty, said: “The council’s proposed ban on begging will criminalise some of the most vulnerable people in Bolton – and is so vaguely defined it could affect anyone sleeping rough in the town, going against Home Office Guidance.

“The council should focus on finding ways to offer support and alleviate hardship. Instead they want the power to slap people with fines they cannot possibly afford, pushing them into the criminal justice system and a downward spiral of debt.”

Josie Appleton is director of The Manifesto Group, which opposes “hyper-regulation” of public spaces.

She said: “It’s very clear from the guidance that PSPO should target only target harmful activities , quite a lot of the things on that list are not harmful. Begging, I don’t think is harmful and charity collectors and buskers are not harmful or causing a public nuisance.

“The problem with PSPOs is there is a vague definition, but guidance has been tightened to say it must be causing public nuisance or harm but a lot of these measures don’t meet that standard.”

But some have taken a balanced view of the situation.

Dave Bagley chief executive of Bolton homeless charity Urban Outreach, says the key to a successful PSPO is making sure it protects everyone in the town centre.

He said: “For us it’s a balance between protecting the vulnerable, and ensuring that the support services are there for them, and not criminalising or penalising them, because we have a duty of care as a society to take care of them. But at the same time we have a duty of care to the public.

“On the whole people are not aggressive or violent.

“But if you are a member of the public and that’s your experience that is equally not correct.”