Monthly Archive 5 July 2025

Op Mastery, CCTV and PSPO may not mean anything immediately to residents of North East Lincolnshire, but they are all key in combatting Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).

The Council, Humberside Police and other organisations are dedicated to making the borough a safer place however they can. During Anti-Social Behaviour week, Monday, 30 June to Sunday, 6 July, they’re highlighting some of the fantastic work that has been done to help make North East Lincolnshire a better place.

Working in unison with Humberside Police, With You, WISE and other organisations, the Days of Action across Grimsby town centre, Grant Thorold Park and Immingham have proved invaluable. Under the title of Op Mastery, Op Agility and Op Mandala respectively, the initiatives have looked at tackling ASB and other crime in certain areas with great success.

Under Op mastery, crime in Grimsby town centre has reduced by 5% with ASB reducing by 14% and alcohol related ASB BY 51% over the course of the last 12 months. However, these Days of Actions aren’t the only explanation for this.

The Council’s state of the art CCTV system has almost 140 static and 37 rapid deployment cameras covering the borough, with operators linking into Police officers who are on the ground. This joined up approach means crime can be spotted and dealt with quicker than before.

For example, over the course of three months, October to December 2024, Council cameras aided in 555 separate emergency services incidents ranging from missing people to those committing ASB.

However, it isn’t all about enforcement. Elsewhere in Grimsby, through the Greening Up Our Town Centre grant, the Council have worked alongside Grimsby in Bloom and Dogma Art to provide an attractive aesthetic to those shopping or working in the town centre.

With numerous flowerbeds, living walls and vibrant street art, there is plenty to welcome people into Grimsby, deterring individuals from committing ASB.

Other operations, such as Op Snap, have helped to tackle specific ASB issues in Cleethorpes by following this model. Reports from residents and businesses highlighted key locations where nuisance driving was a regularly occurring issue.

Dedicated CCTV support and police patrols in these areas over the course of several months last Summer led to vehicles being seized with numerous drivers given cautions and warnings about their behaviour.

Members of the public are being encouraged to send in dashcam footage of poor driving as part of Op Snap to help discourage further ASB regarding driving.

Another key element of tackling ASB are the Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) around the borough. These are intended to deal with persistent anti-social behaviour in a local area that is detrimental to the community’s quality of life. They do so by imposing conditions on the use of that area to ensure everyone can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing nuisance and annoyance.

For example, PSPOs are in place along Victoria Street, Grimsby, to prevent people from cycling. The necessity of this particular PSPO was outlined in May 2024 when Grimsby resident Susan Godfrey was left scarred by someone not adhering to the rules.

Ultimately, Susan was left with a scar along her arm, a lasting reminder of why these PSPOs are essential for ensuring the public’s safety. Working in conjunction with these measures are the Town Centre Marshals who are solely stationed in Grimsby Town Centre, ensuring the PSPOs are being adhered to. A deterrent in the campaign against ASB, these individuals are there to help, but also to enforce and issue fines to those who do not follow the rules.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “This is a very important week for the Council and our partners.

“Officers work tirelessly to ensure the public feel safe and welcomed across North East Lincolnshire and the recent results show that what we are doing is working.

“We are a zero tolerance Council and will take appropriate action against this small minority of people who are causing ASB. Although it is ASB week, I want to make it abundantly clear that this is something we focus on everyday and will continue to do so to make sure North East Lincolnshire is welcoming for those who live, work and visit the borough.”

Humberside Police Area Commander, Paul French, added: “We’ve been working hard to tackle anti-social behaviour across North East Lincolnshire by collaborating closely with local partners. Each month, we hold dedicated days of action focused on addressing the key issues impacting town centres in the area.”

“Listening to our communities plays a vital role in what we do, it helps us understand your concerns and take the right steps to deal with any emerging problems. Our goal is to help make our neighbourhoods safer places to live.”

“None of this would be possible without the ongoing support of our local communities. By working with you, we’re able to build strong relationships that help us better understand your needs and priorities.”

How to report ASB?

If you witness any ASB and want to report it, there are a number of effective ways you can do so:

• NELC website – To report ASB, visit the North East Lincolnshire Council website here, https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/keeping-our-area-clean-and-safe/anti-social-behaviour/
• Call 101 – If you feel the police are required, call 101 immediately and ask for help or 999 in an emergency
• Op Snap – If you have footage of people driving in an anti-social manner, you can report it via the website here, https://www.humberside.police.uk/police-forces/humberside-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/operation-snap/- external site

Article and image from NELC.

The award-winning construction company helping to transform Grimsby Town Centre is also working closely with the local community to leave a lasting positive impact on the area.

GMI Construction Group PLC is a national UK Contractor providing specialist design and build projects across the country.

The hugely ambitious £50-million project, commissioned by NELC, is re-imagining the town centre to provide a more sustainable, safe and welcoming environment for visitors and residents. With a new cinema, food and beverage outlets and state-of-the-art market, there will be an abundance of new amenities for the public to enjoy at Freshney Place.

As it works to deliver this project, GMI is also driving social value and outreach projects in the region, supporting, delivering and capturing employment and apprenticeship opportunities.

It is doing this by working closely with North East Lincolnshire Council to ensure support for NELC’s drive for jobs for local residents.

Throughout the build, the company has set itself targets including providing apprenticeships, hiring unemployed people, providing work experience opportunities, and hosting informative visits to the Freshney Place site from schools and colleges.

It has also supported a Parents’ Careers Evening at the Humber Royal Hotel, set up a Just Giving Page for fundraising for Grimsby Horizon Youth Zone, attended a Careers Progression event at Grimsby Institute, hosted a school visit by Littlecoates Primary School to see demolition machinery in operation, delivered a speed networking session as part of Careers Shift sessions run by NELC Adult Skills team, and met the team behind a jobs café which will be taking over a unit in the shopping centre to see where sub-contractors could potentially support with the fit out.

The most recent project involved students from Hibaldstow Academy, who visited Freshney Place to see the ongoing demolition works. Escorted around the site by GMI Project Manager Dave Fish, the students were taught about the importance of every job that goes into creating these developments, as well as being shown some of the equipment used on the project.

They heard how demolition work is now well underway, with units in The Bullring the latest to be knocked down, and construction work is expected to begin later this year. The scheme will secure the long-term future of Freshney Place and the 1,700 jobs it currently supports.

Brendan Tannam, GMI Responsible Business Partner, said:  “We are involved in a wide range of social value projects like giving children a site tour, taking on T-Level students and supporting other local projects, such as the upcoming Horizon Youth Zone.

 “It’s so important to offer these opportunities to local people when we’re right on the doorstep; it allows them to play a part in their own regeneration.”

 North East Lincolnshire Council Leader,  Cllr Philip Jackson, said. “We’re on a hugely ambitious journey, with significant investment of public funds across our towns and borough. We’re investing in one of the largest schemes this council has ever invested in.

“We are enormously grateful to GMI, and its Responsible Business Partner, Brendan Tannam, for the extra lengths the company is going to in order to support educational projects and job creation in Grimsby as it helps us to transform the town centre.

“Local job creation and the involvement of local people in this project not only brings benefits to the economy but also promotes pride and ownership in the scheme.

“The repurposing of the western end of Freshney Place is the largest regeneration scheme in the area and, along with the other projects around the town centre, it  is set to transform the centre of Grimsby, attracting in more people for a range of exciting, new activities.

“As the demolition work continues, residents and visitors to Grimsby can see transformational change taking place.”

A North East Lincolnshire Councillor has praised the rules around cycling in Grimsby town centre following recent fines for those breaching them.

Grimsby town centre is subject to a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which is intended to deal with persistent anti-social behaviour in a local area that is detrimental to the community’s quality of life. These orders do so by imposing conditions on the use of that area to ensure everyone can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing nuisance and annoyance. 

Recently, two men were fined at Grimsby Magistrates Court for breaching the PSPO around cycling. The pair were both given an initial fine in July 2024, but failed to pay, leading to a court prosecution.

Collectively, the pair were ordered to pay £1,128 in fines, a victim surcharge and costs with payment to be made in full within 28 days. However, neither appeared at court:

• Colin Mussell, 49, of Wootton Road, Grimsby, was ordered to pay an £80 fine, £32 victim surcharge and £200 in costs after indicating a guilty plea
• Adam Southwell, 33, of Patrick Street, Grimsby, was ordered to pay a £440 fine, £176 victim surcharge and £200 in costs

“Whilst some suggest these measures are too harsh, there are clear examples of why these PSPOs are in place”, said Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities.

In May 2024, Susan Godfrey was scarred for life by a cyclist who was not abiding by the rules. Speaking about the PSPO after recovering from her injuries, Susan said: “I’m the living proof of why these PSPOs are in place. If that happened to a child or someone older, they could’ve been killed.

“I just hope people will think more about what they’re doing. My arm shows how important it is to not cycle down there, please, just do the right thing.”

In addition, the Council have recently installed a number of planters and living walls to help brighten up Victoria Street as part of the Levelling Up Funding awarded to Grimsby in May last year aimed at greening up town centres.

Councillor Shepherd added: “These planters and living walls ensure that we’re making Grimsby town centre a safer, more welcoming and inviting space for residents and visitors.

“They are also a further example of why the PSPO around cycling is so important. Their installation means the public pathways are slightly narrower than before.

“Whilst there is still ample space for emergency vehicles and other business related vehicles down Victoria Street, it is essential that people respect the PSPO to prevent any other injuries such as the one sustained by Susan.

“We will continue to enforce this alongside our Days of Action and ever improving CCTV system that has aided in a multitude of incidents across the town centre, all of which has paid in to reducing crime by 5% over the past two years.”

Article and image from NELC.