A crackdown on lairy and lewd behaviour linked to some drinkers taking part in Leeds’ most famous pub crawl is being extended.
An on-the-spot fines scheme designed to tackle public urination, littering and harassment along the route of Otley Run was due to expire at the end of this month, after being brought in in 2020. However, the authorities have now extended the public space protection order (PSPO) covering the trail, which takes in around 15 pubs across Headingley, Hyde Park and the edge of the city centre, for another three years.
It follows complaints from locals and councillors that the Otley Run has become too big in recent times and that some drinkers are blocking traffic, going to the toilet outdoors and harassing female residents. Traditionally a rite-of-passage for students clad in fancy dress, critics have claimed the pub crawl has become a target for older drinkers, stag and hen dos, with one councillor suggesting last year that Headingley had become “like Magaluf” on weekends.
