Mitcham Street Drinking Fears Rise as Alcohol Order Expires: South London 2026

Key Points

• Street drinking and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour have escalated significantly in Mitcham town centre, with police called multiple times weekly to handle altercations and property damage.
• Local business owner Ali Shabaan, who runs Tag Elezz Cafe, reports that the severity of the situation is forcing him to consider closing down and leaving the town entirely.
• Merton Council’s borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which previously granted enforcement officers and police the authority to confiscate alcohol and issue fines, expired in July.
• Merton Council confirmed it currently has no plans to renew the borough-wide PSPO, asserting that alternative “strong measures” are already in place to combat anti-social behaviour.
• Opposition councillors have publicly criticised the council’s stance, labelling the choice not to extend or replace the PSPO as “premature” and detrimental to public safety.

Mitcham (South London News) August 18, 2026 – Street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Mitcham town centre have reportedly escalated beyond control, leaving local trade owners in fear for their livelihoods following the expiration of crucial local enforcement powers. The deterioration of order in the district has triggered severe concern amongst residents and small business operators, who warn that the area is becoming increasingly inhospitable due to unchecked public intoxication. The situation has reached a critical point following the expiration of Merton Council’s borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in July, which previously enabled law enforcement and council officers to confiscate open alcohol containers and fine offenders. Despite growing demands from the community for immediate action, Merton Council has indicated that it has no intention to renew the borough-wide order, maintaining that sufficient enforcement frameworks remain operational.

Why are Mitcham business owners considering leaving the area?

As reported by Harrison Galliven of MyLondon, local café proprietor Ali Shabaan stated that

“families and good people don’t come here, only alcoholics”

due to the constant presence of public intoxication near his premises. Mr Shabaan, whose business Tag Elezz Cafe is situated just metres from Mitcham’s landmark Jubilee Clock Tower, revealed that alcohol-fueled disorder has become a persistent daily reality. He noted that law enforcement officers are required to attend the location regularly to manage recurring public altercations.

As reported by Harrison Galliven of MyLondon, Mr Shabaan stated that

“the police are called out at least three to four times a week”

to deal directly with physical fights and property destruction, including smashed shopfront windows. The café owner explained that while his central position on the square was initially advantageous for trade, the adjacent Clocktower Square and Fair Green have become congregation hotspots for chronic street drinkers. As reported by Harrison Galliven of MyLondon, Mr Shabaan further stated that

“I do my best to manage them… they come here and ask for empty glasses for their drinks,”

adding that the unrelenting nature of the disorder has forced him to contemplate closing his establishment and abandoning Mitcham completely.

What legal powers expired and why is Merton Council refusing to renew the PSPO?

The public safety crisis in Mitcham has been exacerbated by the expiry of Merton Council’s borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in July. Originally introduced under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, PSPOs grant police officers and designated council enforcement personnel the legal authority to order individuals to cease drinking alcohol in public places and hand over open or sealed alcohol containers. Failure to comply with an officer’s instruction under an active PSPO can result in an immediate £100 Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecution leading to a fine of up to £1,000.

Despite the evident anxiety amongst local traders regarding the sudden gap in legal powers, Merton Council confirmed that it does not plan to institute a new borough-wide PSPO. Municipal representatives maintained that the local authority already possesses a robust suite of alternative legal mechanisms to address alcohol-related disorder across the borough. However, this policy position has drawn sharp condemnation from political opponents within the civic centre. Opposition councillors formally challenged the decision, describing the council’s refusal to renew the borough-wide protection order without establishing a direct replacement as “premature” and detrimental to the safety of residents in hotspot areas such as Mitcham town centre.

How has Merton Council responded to the street drinking complaints?

Addressing the rising concern, local authority officials reiterated that Merton remains committed to community safety through targeted interventions rather than blanket borough-wide restrictions. Council spokespersons stated that alternative enforcement protocols remain available to the Metropolitan Police Service to manage individual criminal acts, violent behaviour, and public nuisance. Nevertheless, local business operators maintain that the loss of the specific PSPO mechanism makes preventative enforcement substantially more difficult for frontline officers on the street.

What is the background of the Public Space Protection Order in Merton?

Public Space Protection Orders were established across England and Wales following the passage of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, replacing legacy Controlled Drinking Zones. Merton Council originally established controlled drinking provisions in 2013, which subsequently transitioned into formal PSPO frameworks in 2017.

In October 2020, the local authority introduced a targeted PSPO specifically covering five key wards in and around the Mitcham area: Cricket Green, Figges Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, and Ravensbury. This targeted order was designed to give enforcement officers specific tools to curb chronic anti-social behaviour in commercial hubs, including Clocktower Square and Fair Green. In late 2022, Merton Council extended these localized measures for a further three years following positive community feedback. Subsequently, following a 10-week public consultation launched in December 2022, the council enacted a comprehensive borough-wide order—the London Borough of Merton (Alcohol Consumption in Public Places) Order 2023—which came into force on July 25, 2023. That borough-wide mandate expired in July, leading directly to the current enforcement gap in Mitcham town centre.

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What is the prediction for how this development will affect local residents and businesses?

The decision to allow the borough-wide PSPO to lapse without a direct functional replacement is expected to have notable economic and social consequences for the immediate Mitcham community, specifically targeting local retail tenants, residents, and municipal public service providers.

• Impact on Local Businesses and Commercial Viability: Without immediate, visible enforcement powers to deter open-air street drinking, small business owners in Mitcham town centre face diminishing footfall and declining revenues. Establishments situated around high-density congregation spots like Clocktower Square are likely to experience continuous property damage, elevated security costs, and loss of patrons who elect to shop elsewhere to avoid anti-social behaviour. If primary traders such as Tag Elezz Cafe follow through on plans to vacate the area, Mitcham risks increased commercial vacancy rates, deteriorating high street retail value, and wider economic stagnation.
• Impact on Local Residents and Families: For residents residing in and around the Mitcham town centre, the lack of dedicated alcohol enforcement powers threatens to further erode perceived public safety and civic pride. Families are increasingly likely to avoid public amenities, open spaces, and central squares during afternoon and evening hours due to fears of verbal intimidation, littering, and public violence.
• Impact on Emergency Services and Local Authority Resources: The absence of preventative street-level confiscation powers will likely shift the burden of managing alcohol-related nuisance back onto police response teams. Metropolitan Police officers may see an increased volume of urgent call-outs to handle escalating physical altercations, criminal damage, and emergency incidents that could otherwise have been de-escalated or prevented through early intervention under PSPO legislation. Pressure will likely build on Merton Council to reconsider its policy position should public complaints and police call-out statistics continue to rise throughout the coming months.