Neil Wilby Media

Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction (ASBI) Warning letters can be an effective deterrent in addressing anti-social behaviour, but their suitability depends on various factors.

ASBIs are legal orders issued by courts to prevent individuals from engaging in specific anti-social behaviors. The warning letters serve as a precursor to inform individuals of the potential legal consequences if they continue their behavior. Here are some considerations regarding their effectiveness:

1. Clarity of Consequences: ASBI Warning letters should clearly outline the behaviors that need to cease and the potential legal consequences if the behaviors persist. This clarity can help individuals understand the seriousness of the situation.
2. Early Intervention: ASBI Warning letters provide an opportunity for early intervention. They can deter individuals from escalating their anti-social behavior to the point where more severe legal action, such as a full ASBI, is required.
3. Legal Framework: The legal framework surrounding ASBIs is crucial. Individuals must understand that violating an ASBI can lead to court-imposed restrictions or penalties. The effectiveness of ASBI Warning letters can be influenced by the severity of potential consequences.
4. Community Support: In some cases, community support and involvement can complement ASBIs. Local authorities and organizations may offer support services or mediation to address the underlying issues contributing to anti-social behavior.
5. Follow-up and Enforcement: To maintain their effectiveness, ASBI Warning letters must be followed up with appropriate enforcement measures if individuals do not comply. Courts should be ready to issue ASBIs and enforce them if necessary.
6. Individual Circumstances: Consideration of individual circumstances is essential. Some individuals may respond positively to ASBI Warning letters, while others may require more comprehensive support or sanctions.
7. Timeliness: Issuing ASBI Warning letters promptly after identifying anti-social behavior can maximize their impact, preventing the behavior from continuing or worsening.
8. Consistency: Consistent application of ASBI Warning letters across cases of anti-social behavior sends a clear message that such behavior is not tolerated.
9. Community Safety: The ultimate goal of ASBI Warning letters is to enhance community safety. Their suitability as a deterrent depends on their contribution to achieving this objective.

In summary, ASBI Warning letters can be a suitable deterrent for anti-social behavior, especially when they are part of a comprehensive strategy that includes clear consequences, community support, and follow-up enforcement. Their effectiveness may vary based on the specific circumstances and the willingness of individuals to change their behaviour in response to the warnings.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council is one public authority to deploy such a mechanism in order to exclude persistent troublemakers from its civic chamber during its meetings of Full Council: Around twelve members of a Tameside-based group whom, appositely, self-style as ‘The Rabble‘ or (‘Raja’s Rabble‘), were issued to a number of its leading lights last year following serious public disorder at OMBC meetings in June and July, 2022.

Those issued with ASBI warning letters included the eponymous Raja Miah, a notorious, unemployed, Mossley-based conspiracy theorist, and the totem to whom The Rabble routinely pay homage and hand over substantial sums of money, much of it sourced from State benefits in one form or another.

The Chairwoman of the controversial Failsworth Independent Party, Kathleen Wilkinson, very closely aligned with Miah and his Rabble, was another prominent figure to receive one of the warning letters. Her husband, Mark Wilkinson, lost his seat on the Council in the May, 2023 local elections. She had already resigned from FIP at the beginning of this year (read more here).

With the next Full Council meeting looming, the Council was asked on 28th August, 2023 to confirm how many of the ASBI warning letters, issued last year, were still in force. After acknowledging the request on the same day, the actual number is yet to be disclosed by their press office.

Kath Wilkinson has, however, posted on Facebook to the effect that she is no longer banned by Oldham Council and will resume her attendance at meetings. Appeals to the Council and a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman did not prove fruitful, she says, promising a reckoning at the ballot box next May (read full story here).

Former UKIP councillor and Rabble ‘legend’, Warren Bates (pictured above centre), will also be in attendance at the next Full Council meeting although, he says, no clear answer has been given to him on the current status of the two ASBI warning letters he received last year. His behaviour was considered amongst the worst of those banned (read more here).

One who won’t be joining them is another Rabble icon, Debbie Lord, who has published on Facebook details of the warning letter she received after the most recent Full Council meeting. Her appeal has not been upheld, a further letter states, and she will remain banned until August, 2024.

Another Rabbler, Gary Leese, will not be attending the Civic Centre for the foreseeable future either, after being convicted over a bottle throwing incident at the same July, 2022 meeting (read more here).  That is the theory, of course, but Leese also has a prior conviction that involved impersonation and breach of a restraining order, for which he was sent to prison.

Raja Miah, whose on-off campaign to stand as a MP in the Oldham West and Royton constituency appears to be again set to ‘off’, at present, despite pocketing £6,000 from a recent Rabble fundraiser on 19th August, has yet to indicate whether he will be at Oldham Civic Centre on 6th September to pursue his stated intention of forcing a public inquiry into alleged council, police and Labour Party misdemeanours over child sexual exploitation in Oldham. He remains on both police and court bail over harassment and malicious communication allegations, but denies any wrongdoing.

Either way, it promises to be a lively evening for the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Eddie Moores, who is likely to step into the breach as a result of the Mayor, Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE taking compassionate leave (read more here).

Follow Neil Wilby on Twitter (here) and Neil Wilby Media on Facebook (here) for signposts to any updates.

Page last updated: Saturday 2nd September, 2023 at 17h15

Thank you for reading and a polite request: If you feel this article is of value and in the public interest, and wish to make a contribution to the running costs of this website, it would be very much appreciated. Donations can made securely (and anonymously if required), via Buy Me A Coffee at this link or via PayPal at this link.

Corrections: Please let me know if there is a mistake in this article. I will endeavour to correct it as soon as possible.

Picture credit:

Right of reply: If you are mentioned in this article and disagree with it, please let me have your comments. Provided your response is not defamatory it will be added to the article.

© Neil Wilby 2015-2023. Unauthorised use, or reproduction, of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from, and links to, the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby Media, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.