Written question asked by Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 15 May 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 May 2008. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 2 June 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Road Traffic Offences

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers (a) the police and (b) other authorities have to deal with unsolicited car windscreen washers; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Police and local authorities have available a range of measures to deal with antisocial behaviour, including the nuisance caused by unsolicited car windscreen washers. The measures are usually employed incrementally and it is important that they should be proportionate to the behaviour concerned. Among the available measures normally used for low-level antisocial behaviour are warnings, acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs), and injunctions. For more serious cases, antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) may be used. In addition, the police have powers to disperse groups of two or more where their presence or behaviour has resulted, or is likely to result, in a member of the public being harassed, intimidated, alarmed or distressed. These could be used where more than person is engaged in unsolicited windscreen washing in a particular location.

Secondary information