People who live or work in Banbury are being invited to share their views on measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Cherwell District Council is proposing a new public spaces protection order, set to give it and Thames Valley Police stronger powers to discourage antisocial behaviour and hand out fines.

Councillor Rob Parkinson, portfolio holder for regulatory, said: "We want people to enjoy everything Banbury has to offer without experiencing anti-social behaviour.

“Incidents of aggressive begging, street drinking and verbal abuse are relatively rare, but they can have a serious impact on their victims when they do happen.

"A public spaces protection order signals to people that we want the best for Banbury and allows our community wardens and colleagues in the police service to take enforcement action if necessary.

"We want residents, businesses, and people in the area who use Banbury town centre to have their say and contribute to making Banbury’s public spaces as safe and welcoming as possible."

The proposed order would cover Banbury town centre and People’s Park, meaning activities such as aggressive begging, intimidating street drinking and abusive behaviour in those areas could be penalised.

These behaviours do not always meet the thresholds for other formal enforcement action.

The consultation, which is also open to people who visit Banbury, began on Friday, July 26, and will run until Friday, August 23.