Nickie Aiken, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement to crack down on anti-social behaviour, ensuring safer neighbourhoods across the Two Cities.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan will establish a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of anti-social behaviour, and give the police and local authorities the tools they need to tackle the problem.

Commenting on the Plan, Nickie said,

"The Prime Minister has unveiled the Government's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan today. So much of it is going to make a huge difference within the Two Cities. I have been liaising with Number 10 officials to ensure that issues like aggressive begging and drug taking have been at the heart of this plan.

"Many of you have contacted me over recent months concerned about aggressive street begging. We know that the vast majority of these people are not homeless. They have got serious mental health and addiction problems and they need help. The new action plan will ensure that these beggars are signposted and helped into mental health and addiction services. But if they do continue to be aggressive on the street, if they do continue to defecate and urinate outside people's homes, then there will be enforcement. And that's a really important measure.

"I also welcome the banning of nitrous oxide, the little canisters we can see. Dozens, if not scores of them, outside premises after a night out. And we know the damage that they are doing to young people's health. So it is right to ban them. There's a whole raft of other policies which I know will make a huge difference to improving life for residents and businesses across the Two Cities."

Read the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan in full here.