TOUGH new legislation could be used to crack down on the blight of anti-social behaviour in Bradford city centre, giving both Council wardens and police officers powers to deal with nuisance behaviour more effectively.

Bradford Council is currently asking businesses in the city to provide them with the evidence they need to introduce a public space protection order - by giving examples of any anti-social behaviour they have witnessed in the last six months.

The list of nuisance behaviour requested runs to 18 different types and includes people urinating, defecating, and spitting; anti-social behaviour as a result of alcohol or drugs; begging; people sleeping rough; busking; people touting; those peddling goods; and charity collectors asking for cash or direct debit details.

The list also includes people riding unauthorised vehicles such as quad-bikes, scooters and motorbikes; people cycling in an anti-social manner; people skating on rollers or skateboards; nuisance ball games or verbal abuse; people showing signs of having taken, or the possession of illegal drugs or legal highs; people with status dogs; littering; and graffiti.

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According to Government guidelines, the new orders "are intended to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a particular area that is detrimental to the local community's quality of life, but imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone".

The test the Council will need to satisfy to implement a banning order in a public space is that they are satisfied the activities have had a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality; are persistent in nature, are unreasonable; and justify the restrictions imposed.

It would be an offence to do anything prohibited under the order, with anyone breaching it facing a fixed penalty fine of up to £100. This could be issued by a police officer, a police community support officer, or Council warden.

The new orders are a more advanced version of similar rules currently in place to help police combat anti-social behaviour in problem areas, such as a designated public places order on alcohol and dog control order in City Park.

Inspector Andy Gallant, of the City Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the Bradford application for the new order was still being formulated but was likely to seek to include issues such as legal highs, street drinking , skateboarding, begging and peddling.

He said the new legislation would be more overarching than the laws it was replacing, and would be more flexible.

He said: "Whatever is written in to the order will be subject to review. It can develop and evolve as it goes, to look at the issues of the time.

"One of the most significant things about it is that it won't just be police officers involved, but also PCSOs, council wardens, and community support accredited security officers.

"There will be more eyes and ears out there to make Bradford safer. Hopefully this will have more teeth than what we have had in the past."

Businesses in the City Park have welcomed the plans for a public space protection order, including The Pavilion Cafe and The In Plaice fish and chip shop.

Zulfi Hussain, the businessman behind the new Pavilion cafe next to City Park, said he had witnessed people being under the influence of legal highs, so welcomed any move to make the area safer for visitors.

"Anything that could reduce anti-social behaviour in the city centre and a potential barrier for people to return to the city centre, would be helpful."

Andy Wharton, manager of The In Plaice, Sunbridge Road, said he welcomed the measures as anti-social behaviour has been plaguing his business.

"We've had people urinating outside, people coming inside the shop and begging, a broken window, the bins set alight round the back, and a big issue with people drinking. We've even had people stealing food from customer's plates after they have finished," he said.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council's executive member employment, skills and culture, said that they were exploring how they could use these new powers and that it would enable Council wardens to enforce the new rules, as well as the police.

She said: "For some time now, we've been working with retailers plus the police, public health and Reaching Out, to work with vulnerable groups in the city centre. There has been considerable success, but there's no room for complacency.

"So we're exploring with city centre businesses what we might do with these newly announced enforcement powers in the city centre were we to introduce them. Lincoln city centre introduced something similar recently. The new powers would mean that it wouldn't just be up to the police to enforce but that council staff could also play a role."

But she added: "It's worth noting that thousands of people visit the city centre for work and leisure every week so the number of individuals causing anti social behaviour is an extremely small minority."

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade, welcomed the moves, and urged businesses who have suffered at the hands of anti-social behaviour to respond to the Council's questionnaire.