Two men have been fined for antisocial behaviour offences in North Devon Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) areas, following successful prosecutions by the council.

The separate cases of David Crighton of Valley Close, Barnstaple, and Clifford Garlick, of no fixed abode, were heard at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court on Monday 21 September.

Crighton was found guilty in his absence of breaching a Community Protection Notice (CPN) served against him. The CPN prohibited him from consuming alcohol or possessing unsealed containers of alcohol in a public place within any North Devon PSPO area, alongside other conditions including not being drunk in a public place.

The court heard that on 6 February, street marshals found Crighton in Barnstaple Pannier Market drinking from a bottle of cider. When ordering him to leave, they found he was drunk.

Crighton was sentenced to pay a total of £318, comprising a £120 fine, a surcharge of £48 and £150 in costs.

Garlick pleaded guilty to three offences of breaching the PSPO in place in Ilfracombe in June and July 2026. On 12 June, street marshals found him drinking in Wilder Road car park and later found him drunk in Springfield Road. He was seen drinking a can of lager in Wilder Road again on 9 July, which he refused to dispose of when asked.

Garlick was ordered to pay a total of £112, comprising an £80 fine and a surcharge of £32.

Councillor David Clayton, Leader of North Devon Council, said: “We want our town centres to be safe and welcoming places that everyone can enjoy. Our PSPO gives us important powers to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour, and while we will always look to work with individuals to address these issues, we will take appropriate action where restrictions are repeatedly ignored.

“These cases show that we will work with our partners to address behaviour that has a negative impact on our communities.”

The PSPO is in place in parts of Barnstaple and Ilfracombe to help create safer, more welcoming town centres. It gives the council and police powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, including the misuse of alcohol and other intoxicating substances, public urination and defecation, aggressive begging, and behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress.