So fast forward two and a half years, has the ban made a difference?
The force said there were no exact figures for incidents dealt within the PSPO area under its terms.
When it comes to fines, the borough council said police had issued two fixed penalty notices under the PSPO. Both were paid.
According to police-recorded data published on Police.uk, in February 2024, the month the PSPO was being passed, across all of Heanor and Loscoe there were 46 reports of anti-social behaviour, including crimes which do not fall under the PSPO regulations.
A year later, there were 25 reports of anti-social behaviour in the same area in February 2025, and in February this year 15 reports were logged.
The council added the PSPO “is one part of the wider work taking place with partners to address anti-social behaviour” – and that it was “not aware of significant ongoing problems in the town centre”.
Tabbron said the balaclava ban, and other elements of the PSPO, were not just a stick to beat troublemakers with.
She said: “We don’t want to issue out fines willy-nilly, because that doesn’t help in every situation.
“The tickets that have been issued, it’s made a clear difference when they have been because word gets round. But if we can engage, persuade and advise first off before the tickets even come into place, then brilliant.
“We’re not going to just see somebody on a scooter or an e-scooter, go up to them go ‘oh we’re seizing your e-scooter and you’re having an £100 fine’ all in one day.
“If we’ve got a rapport with the community, they’re more likely to work with us in the long run.
“We want to remind the public that the PSPO is in place, we will be looking at using it if we need to, and also remind those that are potentially breaching the conditions that we will be looking out for it.”
Heanor was not the only place to dream up a ban on face coverings, although it was one of the first.
Wolverhampton has had a ban for a few years already too, Stafford has one coming in to force in December, while cities like Derby, Stoke-on-Trent and towns like Mansfield and Loughborough are also considering following suit.
Ward councillor for Heanor West at Heanor and Loscoe Town Council, Paul Jones, felt the ban was a good example to other towns and cities in the UK.
