£1,000 fine risk for refusing to remove face coverings in Nottingham

People in Nottingham city centre who refuse to take off a balaclava or other non-religious face covering when an officer asks can now be handed a £70 on-the-spot fine, under new powers brought in by Nottingham City Council. If the case goes to prosecution instead, the maximum penalty is £1,000, according to the Daily Mirror.

The powers came into force on September 15. Council bosses say they acted after a run of complaints about anti-social behaviour, and that residents had told them they feel intimidated when they see masked groups in the centre.

The Labour-run council says the rule is aimed at people hiding their identity to commit crime or frighten others, not at what people choose to wear. Even so, it hands officers a new judgement call about who looks suspicious, and that is worth understanding before you next head into town.

How Nottingham's face covering rule works

Under the new rule, police and community protection officers can ask someone to remove a non-religious face covering if they have reason to believe it is being used to hide the person's identity to commit crime or to intimidate others. Refusing is what triggers the penalty. The person can be given a £70 fine on the spot, or the matter can go to prosecution, where the maximum penalty is £1,000.

Police and council officials said they had recorded over 180 anti-social behaviour and crime incidents in the city centre in the 12 months to June involving youths and gangs who hid their identities with balaclavas. The Mirror reports these included an episode last November in which two groups of youths in balaclavas confronted each other with machetes in front of families and shoppers at the Winter Wonderland Christmas market. Other incidents involved masked people intimidating shop workers or covering their faces while breaking into buildings.

Councillor Neghat Khan, leader of the council, said the council had listened to people who feel intimidated by balaclavas, skeleton masks and other face coverings worn without a legitimate reason, and that it was "taking decisive action". Cllr Khan said residents should be able to live, work and spend time in Nottingham without feeling frightened or unsafe, and added that the measure "is not about telling people what they can wear or targeting those who have a genuine reason for covering their face".

Who can be asked to unmask, and who is exempt

The rule covers non-religious face coverings worn in Nottingham city centre. According to the Mirror, exemptions are given for religious reasons, health conditions and legitimate cultural events. Wearing a covering is not the offence on its own. What matters is an officer believing it is being used to conceal identity in connection with crime or anti-social behaviour, or worn in a way that intimidates, harasses, alarms or distresses others, and the person then refusing to take it off.

In money terms, someone who refuses faces £70 if they are dealt with by an on-the-spot fine. If the case ends in court, the ceiling is £1,000. The reports do not say how a court would set the actual amount within that limit, or whether the £70 fine can be paid in instalments.

The exact boundary of the city centre zone has not been set out in the reports. Nor has any guidance on what counts as a health reason, or what proof, if any, someone might be asked to show. Those are the details anyone who covers their face for medical reasons will want to check with the council.

Key numbers

• £70: the on-the-spot fine for refusing to remove a face covering when asked by an officer.
• £1,000: the maximum penalty if a case goes to prosecution.
• September 15: the date the new powers came into force in Nottingham city centre.
• Over 180: anti-social behaviour and crime incidents involving masked youths and gangs recorded in the city centre.
• 12 months to June: the period over which police and council officials counted those incidents.
• 24 hours: the longest a police 'mask-free zone' order can last on its own under national law.

What happens next for the balaclava rule

The rule is already in force, having started on September 15, so this is not a proposal. It adds to a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) the council issued this summer that targets aggressive charity collections, noisy buskers, public urination and unauthorised magazine sellers. The reports do not say how long the face covering restriction will run or when it will be reviewed.

Nationally, there is no outright ban on wearing balaclavas in public. Under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, a police officer of inspector rank or above can declare a specific area a 'mask-free zone', where hiding your identity becomes a criminal offence, but only for up to 24 hours. The Mirror reports that councils can use PSPOs to make such restrictions last longer, and that similar bans have already been announced in Wolverhampton and the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

What you can do now

If you wear a face covering in Nottingham city centre for health or religious reasons, the reports say you are exempt, but it is sensible to be ready to explain calmly to an officer why you are wearing it. Nottingham City Council is the body to ask about the exact area covered and what officers may expect from someone with a health condition.

If you are stopped and given a £70 fine, ask the officer for the details in writing, including where and when it was issued and how to respond. The reports do not set out an appeals route, so contact the council directly before any deadline shown on the notice if you believe the fine was wrongly issued.

If you have been intimidated in the city centre by people hiding their faces, report it to the police and the council. The council says complaints from residents shaped this decision, so logging incidents is how concerns get counted.

Your questions answered

Is it now illegal to wear a balaclava in Nottingham?

Not simply for wearing one. The offence is refusing to remove a non-religious face covering when an officer asks and has reason to believe it is being used to hide identity for crime or to intimidate others. There is no law banning balaclavas in public outright, according to the Mirror.

What if I cover my face for health or religious reasons?

Exemptions are given for religious reasons, health conditions and legitimate cultural events, the Mirror reports. Cllr Khan said the rule is not about targeting people who have a genuine reason for covering their face.

Is Nottingham the only place doing this?

No. The council says it is one of the first cities in the country to bring in this kind of restriction, and similar balaclava bans have previously been announced in Wolverhampton and the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Police can also set up temporary mask-free zones for up to 24 hours under the Crime and Policing Act 2026.