I spent an hour on Huddersfield Street drinking and it was chaotic

It’s only 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon, but there’s a party atmosphere for street drinkers in Huddersfield town centre.

Someone blasts dance music from a loudspeaker and a few street drinkers consume strong beer from cans. There is yelling, screaming, fighting, dancing, spitting and spilling drinks. A woman climbs a wall to dance high.

You might see it all in a bustling pub just before last orders, but these Wednesday afternoons take place in the Square, the historic city center, with office workers and families going about their day.

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Passersby shrug when asked to comment. A man says, “Live and let live.”

Quite a few people seem resigned to the bad behavior. They rush and try their best not to look or get involved. A woman says, “I don’t look at them. I’m just passing by. I do not mind”.

But the store workers, who can’t just walk away, seem to have a different opinion. They are fed up with it and I think this kind of anti-social behavior might discourage people from visiting the centre.

A store employee says today’s behavior is the worst he’s seen in a while. He says it could be considered “intimidating”, especially for children or the elderly. The worker says, “There is a lot of yelling and sometimes fighting.”

The shouts and screams die down for a few minutes and then break out. Three men on the periphery of the main group are playing cards and keeping a low profile with cider hidden under their clothes.

A man yells “f*** off” at the top of his voice at no one in particular. I hear him discussing an earlier confrontation with a police officer who he says confiscated his beer.

“They took the hell out of my beer – it all went in my eyes,” he magnifies. “The music is so damn hyper,” comments a man sitting next to me. The smell of weed is in the air as a man spits on the sidewalk.

A father walks by with his children. He says the drinking scene isn’t “pretty” but believes he lets people live their lives.

A shop worker says this is the kind of thing that draws people out of the city centre. She says they drink in the Square every day.

By 4:30 p.m., a few more street drinkers had arrived. They swear and one appears to be very drunk. A man yells “you bastards” at the top of his voice. People turn to look, but they don’t hang around. People parking nearby seem puzzled and a little alarmed.

A man drops his full case and the beer spills onto the pavement, causing others to scream and jeer. Loud behavior is almost non-stop and there doesn’t seem to be any police around or anyone else to keep things under control.

A few minutes later, the drunks are throwing things at each other. A man staggers away, heading down Kirkgate. Leave a few empty boxes behind without bothering with the trash cans.

After almost an hour, it’s time to leave. I can hear the drinkers shouting at each other as I make my way down New Street.

Yorkshire Live has approached West Yorkshire Police and Kirklees Council for comment. The force recently took action against Andrew Hackin for causing a nuisance in the town centre. He was banned from the city center and then locked up when he ignored her.

A spokesperson for the Safer Kirklees Partnership said: “We understand the concerns that have been raised by retailers and shoppers in Huddersfield town center and would like to reassure the public that we are working together as part of the Safer Kirklees Partnership to tackle behavioral issues antisocial related to drinking alcohol on the street.

“The area is covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) obtained by Kirklees Council. Both the police and the council can also issue community protection notices (CPNs) in cases where a person’s behavior is having a detrimental effect on their quality of life. in the locality, is unreasonable and is of a persistent nature Violations of both the PSPO and the CPNs constitute an offence.

“Police and the council are also working together to obtain Criminal Behavior Orders (CBOs) against people involved in persistent anti-social or criminal behaviour. The CBO places conditions on the individual which may include a ban from a certain area. Again, a breach of a CBO is an offense and can result in a custodial sentence.

“The town center policing team carry out regular patrols in the area, both in uniform and plainclothes, and use their powers to confiscate alcohol and remove people from the area.

“Reporting any anti-social behaviour, such as street drinking, loud or rowdy behaviour, helps us to respond to issues and identify any areas of concern.”

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Sam Sharp, Manager at Huddersfield BID (Business Improvement District), said: “We recognize that there is a problem with town center drinkers and begging and we hope that the current PSPO (Public Space Protection Order) will soon be updated, which will help solve these problems. This is in the hands of the local authority.

“Our street rangers patrol the whole Huddersfield BID area for seven days and we step in when things get out of hand with street drinkers as well as reporting incidents of begging. If Rangers witness anti-social behaviour, they will approach individuals and engage. with them, asking them to move on or contacting the police if necessary. We will continue to work in the city center to achieve our goals and work with relevant stakeholders in the city to improve the current PSPO.”

Sam says the PSPO needs updating, adding: “Currently it is not illegal to drink or beg in the city center according to the PSPO. So the PSPO needs updating to make it illegal and then it can be dealt with in a legal sense”.

• If anyone wants to make a report, call West Yorkshire Police on 101 (non-emergency) or go online here