FEAR AND LOATHING in town centres

PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES INCLUDING VIOLENCE, DRUNKEN DISORDERLY AND THREATENING BEHAVIOUR

- By RICHARD AULT

AN area of Derby city centre has been listed among the top 10 for public order crimes across the whole of the UK

The Cathedral Quarter and California’s 669 crimes ranked it ninth, well ahead of neighbouring Nottingham in 17th.

Last year, police received more than 400,000 such reports nationwide.

Inis type of crime includes offences which cause fear, alarm and distress, such as violent disorder, affray, threatening or drunk and disorderly behaviour, and any offence related to stirring up racial, religious, or homophobic hatred.

It also includes rioting and many of the locations that suffered from civil unrest in the wake of the murder of three children at a dance class in Southport last summer suffered high levels of public order offences last year.

For example, there were 361 public order offences at Southport Waterfront.