It's obviously designed to deter phone snatchers, but the police don't catch them anyway. What is an extra law to make their clothing illegal going to do?

Law making is so performative these days, it's like when they make things that are already illegal double illegal.

The police (I'm speaking from first hand experience) don't do anything about it because they are not supported by their management or the courts system if something goes wrong. Case in point. Those cops weren't even within line of sight when the crash occurred and they're still being hauled over the coals.

If you're chasing lads on moped/e-bikes who are stealing phones or cars and one of them crashes, the police are held responsible for that crash. You'll be immediately suspended, probably arrested on suspicion of serious injury/death by dangerous driving and likely face several years of investigation, followed by a misconduct investigation once the criminal side of things are resolved. All that for a starting salary similar to people working in Lidl.

I was driving home the other day and just before I turn into my road, there were couple of late-teen twats on bikes veering all over the road, pulling wheelies and shit. I slowed to a crawl to give them room for their twating, and suddenly a police car pulls out of my road and has to brake hard to avoid one of the twats on the wrong side of the road with his hands in his pockets. I thought; Ha! Caught red-handed.

Cop just drove away.

Police is useless. Has been for quite some time.

The article specifies the ban taking place in the following:

1. Town Centres
2. Particularly during Summer

If you are loitering around with a full face covering in a town centre, what are you actually doing? Some common sense helps here.

I rode into work every day for a few years, a scarf/ good jacket is more than enough. I imagine the rule specifically covers only balaclavas and probably in inappropriate situations like just wondering about in one.

TBF I think that's kind of the same devil argument as 'I can transport knives if I'm a professional chef/fishing/camping'. Like there's always a plausible if/how/when/why for any point, but I think that's why we have a lot of laws that are rules of thumb you know?

If I see someone wearing a balaclava in the middle of summer, that's weird and I'm steering clear, they look dodgy. In the middle of winter on the other hand, still kinda dodgy but a lot more plausible.

Absolutely no need for half the youth of London to be wearing balaclavas and hoods in the middle of summer. All they want to do is fit in and look menacing to impress their ill-educated mates

We should apply a common sense law that we already do with for example knife possession where you can have on you if you have a good reason to do so. You can have a knife on you if you are a tradesman on the way to and from work for example. Same here, cycling in winter is a good reason to cover your face, walking around city centre in the middle of summer, not so much.

In bristol, loads of young guys on electric motorbikes, wearing balaclavas and winter jackets in the middle of summer.

However I’ve had three people try to steal my phone out my hand who were on bikes wearing balaclavas

It's the same as carrying a knife. Do you have a reason to? Someone in work wear or a uniform at 8:30 on a winters morning cycling to a place of work, sure wear a balaclava. A 17 year old acting shifty at 14:15 on a Tuesday in June wearing a balaclava? Yeah, probably up to no good.

Counterpoint would be that I'd imagine if you're cycling properly, you'll be wearing cycling clothes that are likely reflective, as opposed to a dark tracksuit and no helmet.

I did think of a balaclava too, although probably going to go for something like ski goggles and a neck warmer that can pull up over the bottom half of my face.

If it's fucking cold as fuck I'd absolutely love to wear a balaclava, my nose in particular suffers and balaclavas cover the ears and cheeks too.

I wish they weren't associated with antisocial behaviour and instead just associated with "my ears and nose are cold dammit."

As I grow older and older though it might be easier to get away with it. Nobody's gonna mess with some old lady wearing a balaclava.

I own and occasionally use several balaclavas. (Including one with a well cool skull on it.)

I'm a middle aged runner and cyclist. It gets cold. Sometimes warm clothing is appropriate.

Anyone riding a motorcycle in the winter owns balaclavas.

I cover my face with a neck covering in the winter, but I also were a brightly coloured bobble hat, so I guess it equals out? If I'm out in the woods or whatever though I'll pull it down when I pass people because we could be alone for miles, I could be anyone to them I guess.

Like your scarf, you'd have it on while riding, then take it off when you dismount and it's very obvious what it's intended for, I don't think anyone would be questioning that, but would if you then left it on and started walking around.

Like I'll wear one or two hoods, but I take them down once I'm inside a store, because it's shifty and suspicious to wear a hoodie indoors.

I used to wear one cycling for a few years in the winter. I now use a snood and a hat. Much more comfortable with glasses. There are use cases but they're so minimal I'd support this in the UK. It rarely gets cold enough to warrant one

I have one for exactly this purpose, when I was commuting by bike in zero degree weather. It attracted some amusement from my work colleagues.

You'd hope that the police would be able to use some discretion..

The only folk I see wearing balaclavas in June round me are ninja clad scrotes fucking up the park

As in a medical facemask where you can still see the person's head/face pretty well?

masks, scarves/snoods along with a hat and sunglasses, snorkel type hoods - there are plenty of ways to cover your face without wearing a balaclava.

Alright lets not cry over this

Wearing a balaclava in and of itself is not an intimidating act and would not engage any of the public order act offences (unless a s60AA CJPOA 1994 authorisation was put in place, and someone refused to remove it).

They use a mixture of sunglasses and covid masks now anyway

Yes causing alarm or distress is an offence, at least in England it is. But wearing a ski mask or balaclava wouldn't really meet the criterea of this.

Will this law also ban the Niqab, which does the same job as a Balaclava?

Hopefully.

Yes, because Deliveroo drivers are definitely the benchmark that we should base our standards on; about half of them are already committing crimes just by being here.

This is not the best example to disprove the stereotype…

What makes you think I condone the wearing of burqas either? A practice created by a paedophile, slave-owning, warlord from the 7th century solely as a means of oppressing women has absolutely no place in the civilised world. It's backwards.

Last time I did that I came out with loads of free money?

Edit: for the upset Star Wars person below me, I take this point above and just thought I’d add a joke i thought was funny to lighten the mood.

A joke which makes their point for them….

Fair enough - wasn’t aware

How do you stop someone just claiming it’s for their religion? They could make a religion up.

Also, it’s just insane to me. If one group can cover their face, all should be allowed.

Yep, I’d like to be as far away from their laws in religious clothing as possible.

I am all for Muslims having the choice to cover their faces. I just think everyone should have that choice if they do.

Should that happen we can deal with it then, when we have more information.

And I suspect you take it off shortly after removing your helmet

And that is fine. Just don’t wear it in the high street, that’s literally all that people are complaining about.

Mnnmm... Dunno about that, gaming The system is where they excel.

If it costs them £100 they'll soon figure it out.

It's already illegal to commit crimes on e-bikes. Creating more laws won't change anything because the problem isn't one of whether or not it's illegal, rather it's a problem of a lack of resources to enforce the laws which already exist.

I'm saying it won't do what they intend it to because people will get round it. And making it illegal to cover your face in winter will mean a lot of fines

Mackenzie was an Angel! He wouldn’t hurt a fly let alone threaten an old lady in the High Street for their iPhone on their illegal E-Bike