Anti-social behaviour
Penalty notices
A fixed penalty notice (FPN) and a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) are one-off penalties issued to anti-social behaviour offenders.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)
Fixed Penalty Notices generally deal with environmental offences such as litter, graffiti and dog fouling, and can be issued by local authority officers and in a limited capacity to police community support officers and other accredited persons.
FPNs can be issued to anyone over 10 years old and are penalties of £50 for most offences, but £100 for noise-related offences.
Offences where an FPN might be issued
Examples of offences where a FPN may be issued include:
- dropping litter
- minor graffiti offences or fly posting
- not clearing up dog fouling
- where noise is causing a statutory nuisance
- where excessive noise is coming from a private residence during the night
Receiving a penalty notice does not count as getting a conviction. Recipients have 14 in respect of a FPN to pay the penalty or to request a hearing. Failure to pay a penalty may result in a higher fine imposed by the court or imprisonment.
Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs)
Penalty Notices for Disorder are issued for more serious offences, like throwing fireworks or being drunk and disorderly. PNDs can be issued by the police, and again, in a limited capacity by community support officers and other accredited persons.
PNDs can be issued to someone over 16 years old and are for either £50 or £80 depending on the severity of the behaviour.
We introduced PNDs in 2001 specifically to tackle low-level anti-social behaviour and to reduce police bureaucracy in dealing with these types of crimes.
Offences where a PND might be issued
Examples of offences where a penalty notice for disorder may be issued include:
- behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others
- drunk and disorderly behaviour in a public place
- destroying or damaging property up to the value of £500
- retail theft under £200
- sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years of age
- selling alcohol to a drunken person
- using threatening words or behaviour
- breach of a fireworks curfew
Receiving a penalty notice does not count as getting a conviction. Recipients have 21 days to pay the penalty or to request a hearing, or the penalty will be reissued at one and a half times the original amount. Failure to pay a penalty may result in a higher fine imposed by the court or imprisonment.
