POLICE covering Oxford city centre have said they have managed to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour by almost a third. 

Teams working in the city centre, Jericho, Abingdon Road and Botley Road said figures show a 30 per cent reduction this year compared to 2017-18. 

This is the equivalent of 271 less incidents a year, according to the force. 

It also represents a year-on-year decline since 2016.

Anti-social behaviour can include street drinking, vandalism, littering and begging on the streets. 

Oxford City Council introduced a controversial public spaces protection order (PSPO) in February 2016 to give its officers the ability to deal with some antisocial behaviour themselves rather than relying on the police.

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This lapsed at the end of January after just one prosecution in three years and councillors have pledged to ask the public whether they think it should be brought back in again this winter. 

In February, persistent pest Scott Hadlow was banned from Oxford Train Station and the city centre after a ten year campaign of abuse in which he spat at, kicked and assaulted passengers and even threatened to stab them with dirty needles.