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Community safety

What is the Council doing about anti-social behaviour?

Great Yarmouth Borough Council takes the issue of anti-social behaviour (ASB) seriously and works closely with partner agencies such as the Police, the Town Centre Partnership and support services to address unacceptable behaviours. ASB is defined as behaviour that causes harassment, alarm and/or distress to a victim.

We listen to the requests from our residents and have already implemented a borough-wide ASB Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) across the whole of the Borough to allow us the tools to be able to tackle some of the more persistent issues. PSPO's are reviewed yearly and renewed, if applicable, every three years. These are implemented with a full public consultation and amendments made with public and elected member approval.

In response to local concerns, we are implementing a town centre task force to hold targeted interventions in this designated area and have held two business crime conferences which allow local businesses to link in with the Council and the Police, share their experiences and be updated on current and proposed actions.

We work closely with CCTV and have had previously secured funding through the Safer Streets Government Initiative to expand the comprehensive network of CCTV that we have across the Borough which is monitored on a 24 hour basis.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council will use a range of interventions to tackle individuals and groups causing harassment, alarm and distress making sure that any enforcement action taken is balanced with support actions.

Council officers take part in joint action days throughout the year with the Police and other agencies which are days spent on high visibility patrols out in the community tackling issues that have either been reported or are clearly visible. We are also part of the government commended local community alcohol partnership (CAP) which helps to tackle alcohol issues in the young and will work with trading standards to ensure that alcohol is not being sold to underage persons.

We will investigate reported issues of ASB within privately rented and privately owned properties. For council tenants or housing association tenants these issues would be investigated by the social landlord tenancy team.

View our ASB Policy

How do I report a safeguarding concern?

What is safeguarding? It is a way of protecting people from forms of abuse such as

  • neglect
  • domestic violence
  • modern slavery
  • discrimination

If you see or hear something that doesn't seem right, say something.

If you or someone you know is being abused, or may be at risk of any form of mistreatment or neglect, please:

When you telephone you may remain anonymous, but if you can give us as much information as possible it will be helpful.

If you have immediate concerns for the safety of anyone, you should ring 999 for an emergency response.

You can find out more about:

What should I do if I am concerned about someone's safety?

If you have concerns about someone's safety please:

When you telephone you may remain anonymous, but if you can give us as much information as possible it will be helpful.

How do you deal with hate crime?

A hate crime is any crime where the victim, or any other person, perceives it was motivated by hostility or prejudice towards their identity. This includes crimes perceived to be motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.

A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone's prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or because they are transgender. Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but it is important to report them to the police.

Find out more about hate crime on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk website (opens new window).

You can report a hate crime or incident:

  • Report hate crime | Norfolk Constabulary 
  • by calling the police
  • by contacting or visiting any of our offices, where staff can help you make a report; information will be treated confidentially and in addition to helping to make the report, staff can help to signpost you to support services

Where can I get help about domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse means any threats, violence, controlling or coercive behaviour that takes place between family members or people aged over 16 who are in a relationship with each other (or have been in the past). Family members are defined as mother, father, sister, brother and grandparents; whether directly related, in-laws or step family.

  • domestic abuse can happen regardless of social group, class, age, race, disability or sexuality of the individuals involved
  • domestic abuse can affect both men and women, and it can occur in any relationship - heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual; young or old

It is a pattern of behaviour used by abusers designed to establish and maintain power and control over another person.

For more details on recognising and reporting on domestic abuse, and how the Council can help visit our dedicated Domestic Abuse section.

How do I report anti-social behaviour?

We deal with reports of:

  • excessive noise
  • aggressive, threatening or hateful language
  • litter, graffiti or dumped rubbish
  • abandoned cars or nuisance from vehicles
  • problems caused by animals, including dog fouling
  • anti-social behaviour as a result of misuse of drugs or alcohol

We would not investigate the following under anti-social behaviour:

  • normal domestic living noise
  • domestic/commercial CCTV systems
  • children playing, including football games in public spaces
  • BBQs 
  • access/egress and boundary disputes
  • disputes over allocated parking bays
  • parking outside schools, on pavements or parking on the highway
  • animals urinating
  • odour, smoke or fumes from cannabis or other illegal substances
  • neighbours looking at you or not getting on with you
  • criminal offences (which are not an environmental crime)

If you are a Council tenant, you should contact your local Housing Officer to report anti-social behaviour.

If you own your own property, are in private rented accommodation or are a business, you should contact our Environmental Health team.

If you have witnessed vandalism please contact the Norfolk Constabulary (opens new window) directly, if you just wish to report vandalism, please contact the company that owns the vandalised object such as BT or Adshell.

I'm not happy with how you dealt with my anti-social behaviour issues - what should I do?

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) Case Review previously known as Community Trigger, gives victims of ASB the right to request a review of their case when the ASB problem has not been addressed. The ASB Case Review is a multi-agency meeting where agencies such as the local Council, Police and housing providers review how they have responded to the issue by conducting a review of the case so far, and formulating a joint action plan to move forward.

If you have complained to the Police, the Council and/or your housing provider on three or more occasions about separate incidents of ASB in the past 6 months and within 1 month of the incident happening, you can apply for an ASB case review. Alternatively you can make an application by calling your local Council and asking someone to help you complete the form.

Independent advice and help are also available from ASB Help (opens new window). ASB Help is a registered charity in England and Wales which has been set up to provide advice and support to victims of anti-social behaviour.

The ASB Case Review does not replace the complaints procedure of Great Yarmouth Borough Council which should be used when there is dissatisfaction with the conduct of an individual or service. It also does not replace your right to complain to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

There are a couple of important steps that will happen once you have made your application. These are:

Step 1 : Your application will be sent onto the relevant Operational Partnership Team within 5 days. This team is made up of officers and civilians from the Police and officers from the Council.

Step 2: The Operational Partnership Team will review your application and nominate a single point of contact (SPOC) who will oversee the case. The SPOC will contact you within 7 working days of receiving the application and introduce themselves to you and explain the next steps.

If in the meantime you wish to report further incidents of anti-social behaviour please Contact your housing provider (if applicable), the local Council or the Police via their online reporting mechanism or if this is not available to you via the 101 system. If it is an emergency always dial 999.

A meeting will then take place between the appropriate Community Safety Partnership Agencies, the social housing providers and other partners (if they are involved) to discuss the anti social behaviour and the actions that have been discussed and taken. The group will review how the Partnership has responded and make recommendations on how the problem can be resolved.

A response will be sent to you explaining the actions taken and also suggestions on how the Partnership can further attempt to resolve the anti social behaviour.

You can request a case review by visiting the ASB Case Review (opens new window) page on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk website.

If you are not satisfied with the response during the ASB Case Review you are able to appeal.

 

    Who should I contact out of office hours?

    Information on contacting can be found via our Emergency out of hours service section.

    You could also check the Crimestoppers website (opens new window) or the Victim Support website (opens new window) for support and information.

    What is a Public Spaces Protection Order?

    The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (opens new window) introduced simpler, more effective powers to tackle anti-social behaviour that provide better protection for victims and communities.

    One of the powers introduced is a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). This allows local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour happening in public places such as beaches, parks, streets, recreation grounds and play areas. It can be used to tackle behaviours that most reasonable people would think are not appropriate in a public place such as:

    • not clearing up dog fouling 
    • behaviour associated with drinking such as littering, public urination and intimidating behaviour 

    Everyone should be able to enjoy and make use of the public spaces in the Borough responsibly, without causing a nuisance to other people.

    Details of PSPOs currently in force can be viewed under , while details of related public consultations can be viewed on our Consultations and surveys page. 

    Modern slavery and human trafficking

    Great Yarmouth Borough Council is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all its operations and supply chains. This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and outlines the steps taken to identify, prevent, and address risks of slavery and trafficking.

    Tackling modern slavery in the Great Yarmouth Borough

    The Council recognises that modern slavery and human trafficking are serious crimes that exploit the most vulnerable people in our communities. These forms of abuse can occur in many settings - including forced labour, domestic servitude, criminal exploitation, and sexual exploitation - and often remain hidden in plain sight. As a coastal borough with a diverse population, seasonal industries, and a mix of urban and rural areas, Great Yarmouth is not immune to these risks.

    Our commitment

    The Council is committed to working proactively with local partners, statutory agencies, businesses, and the voluntary sector to identify, prevent, and respond to modern slavery. Through training, awareness‑raising, safeguarding practices, and robust reporting pathways, we aim to protect victims, disrupt perpetrators, and support a coordinated community response.

    By strengthening vigilance, improving early identification, and ensuring that all staff and residents understand the signs of exploitation, Great Yarmouth Borough Council seeks to uphold the safety, dignity, and rights of every person within the borough.

    There are various industries that you may encounter modern slavery in and these include:

    • nail bars, hand washes and construction sites
    • domestic settings (live-in help or nannies)
    • agricultural or food processing sectors
    • county lines and criminal exploitation

    Spotting the signs

    People who are victims of modern slavery may:

    • live in over-crowded property or have poor living conditions
    • show signs of physical or mental abuse or fear
    • they may not have access to passports or other personal identification documents
    • be unwilling or unable to engage with strangers or authorities

    Always call 999 if someone is in immediate danger.

    Resources and support