THE new leader of Glasgow City Council has said he is supportive of banning balaclavas in public.
In an interview with The Times, Ricky Bell – who took over from Susan Aitken this month – said he is involved in "detailed discussions" with Police Scotland in an effort to make the city centre safer, with a particular focus on individuals engaged in disorder and wearing face-coverings.
It comes after a wave of negative publicity about safety, anti-social behaviour and crime in Glasgow, sparked by Reform's claims the city is "lawless".
Glasgow has seen a rise in anti-immigration protests in recent months, with many of those attending wearing balaclavas to hide their identities.
Earlier this month, a large group of balaclava-clad protesters were dispersed by police after threatening to bring the city to a "standstill".
Bell told The Times: “I think it’s this specific fear of coming in to the city that we need to tackle, and some of that is about folk all hanging about in big crowds, in balaclavas, folk on those bikes.
“You are only wearing a balaclava so you can’t be identified and that means you are doing something you shouldn’t be doing. So, yes, I would be very supportive of us saying, no, it’s not acceptable.
"Sometimes just the wearing of a balaclava can be intimidating. That’s not normal behaviour, and now you see them all on bikes, whizzing around the city with balaclavas on."
Bell said he is also concerned "about people who think it’s acceptable to march through the city in a balaclava".
Bell said he hoped the ban would reassure women and local businesses that the city is safe.
Other options being discussed include allocating revenue from the new tourist tax to fund extra police officers, and extending the city centre's dispersal zone, which is enforced by Police Scotland, by three months.
