No hiding place for antisocial behaviour

I generally don’t want to use this column to be negative or to pick apart ideas and politicians I might disagree with. I’m not that kind of person and I’m not that kind of politician. But I’m sure, like me, you were shocked to see the main BBC news earlier this month. It was full of footage from that day in Dover and Portsmouth, men – all in black, all wearing balaclavas – protesting in Dover about immigration.

But I didn’t like it. It looked deliberately intimidating and threatening. Presumably, that was the whole idea. I struggle with people who think their arguments become more persuasive if they dress in all black, close down roads, intimidate innocent people and hide their faces with balaclavas. My concern here is that this is not an isolated incident. It’s spreading.

We are seeing a different form of this in North West Leicestershire. I regularly hear from residents who are concerned about antisocial behaviour and the impact it has on their communities right here. I am with them. I strongly believe people should feel safe wherever they live.

Where people are deliberately concealing their identities while taking part in disorder or criminal activity, police should have the tools they need to identify those responsible.

They’ve taken that step in Nottingham. The city has introduced face-covering restrictions in its city centre after a spate of crimes and anti-social behaviour incidents. That’s good. I don’t care who you are or what you are protesting about – if you’re doing it in a balaclava to intimidate, or get involved in criminal activity then the police should have the right to apprehend you.

We’re not a big city and we’re not a port town – but I know from speaking to some traders that there are, occasionally, gangs of lads riding through our town centres on bikes wearing balaclavas. It’s intimidating.

I know there are also bikers in balaclavas riding through our wonderful outdoor spaces in North West Leicestershire.

My point is clear – if you’re wearing a balaclava to protest, ride through a town centre scaring shoppers, or tearing around our beautiful open spaces frightening dog walkers – then the police should have the appropriate power to stop you.

It’s the principle here, not who is wearing the balaclava. That’s the important thing.

Do we all make that distinction? I’m not sure we do. I know there are some people who will have supported the balaclava-wearing men on the south coast and applauded the scenes on their TV screens as fitting and right – and yet, ironically, they’ll complain about kids on e-bikes, riding around the fields at the back of where they live, wearing balaclavas, scaring dog walkers.

Presumably, 300 or so grown men in black wearing balaclavas protesting about small boats – yep, that’s fine.

Wearing balaclavas on an e-bike tearing through a wood behind your house – not fine.

We have a right to protest in this country. I might not always agree with what people are protesting about – but I agree with their right to do so. That’s democracy.

But the right to protest should not, ever, include the right to wear a balaclava to hide your identity. Peaceful protest should not become an excuse for intimidation, violence, criminal damage or serious disruption to other people’s lives.

That is why I support giving police the ability, in the right circumstances, to require people to uncover their faces. If someone is committing an offence, being able to identify them matters. The new powers – part of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 – will do that.

As your MP, I will continue to listen to your concerns and raise them with the people who can make a difference.

Keeping our communities safe isn’t about stopping legitimate protest. Legitimate protest is fine. Intimidation and bullying is not.

It is about making sure that the rights of everyone – including the right to live peacefully without disorder – are respected.