Police to wield ‘swear box’ as curse of town centre obscenities tackled

Barnsley Voice, a group which represents traders, has enlisted the help of officers who patrol shopping areas in an attempt to clean up residents’ language.

Officers issuing fines will use Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, under which being threatening, abusive or insulting in a way which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress is an offence.

As part of the month-long initiative, shoppers who are offended by foul language are also being encouraged to report their concerns to town centre police.

It is understood that officers have been instructed to “have a quiet word” with offenders in the first instance, but if that does not work, to hand out fixed penalty notices.

Insp Julie Mitchell, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “It is important to note that some people feel upset and intimidated from hearing swearing.

“Therefore, it has been agreed that those found to be swearing in the town centre will be dealt with appropriately, by either advice or enforcement.”

A spokesman for Barnsley Voice said: “Business managers agreed that something needed to be done about the bad atmosphere that was created by people ‘screaming abuse’ across the precincts.

“The friendly Barnsley welcome is undermined when the air is filled with foul language.”

Last March, Doncaster’s mayor Peter Davies launched a similar scheme after saying he was sick of hearing people swearing in the town’s streets.

Under that scheme, signs were put up in the town centre banning swearing and spitting.