November 27, 2019 11.39 am This story is over 22 months old

Almost 70 people banned from Lincoln Library for anti-social behaviour

Naughty behaviour in public places
Nearly 70 have been banned from Lincoln Library.

Nearly 70 people have been banned from Lincoln’s Library over the past five years while offences in public buildings elsewhere in Greater Lincolnshire include urinating and defecating.

A total of 136 people have been banned from libraries and leisure centres over the past five years in the county.

The figures were obtained following a Freedom of Information request to authorities and service providers across Greater Lincolnshire.

The figures show 83 people have been banned from Lincolnshire’s Libraries – which are managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), while 53 have been barred from leisure centres.

A number of leisure facilities across Greater Lincolnshire are contracted out on behalf of councils, for example North East Lincolnshire’s are run by Lincs Inspire and South Kesteven’s centres are managed by 1Life.

Lincoln Library tops banning numbers

Nearly 70 people have been banned from Lincoln Library for anti-social behaviour over the past five years.

Since 2015, Lincoln Library has barred 67 people from its premises following antisocial or criminal behaviour.

The figure is almost 10 times that of second-highest Boston library which has barred seven people over the past five years.

The highest number of bans was handed out in 2015/16 when 22 people were barred, however, so far in 2019/20,  just seven people have faced punishment.

Latest figures “extremely low” for city centre library

A spokesperson from GLL said: “Lincoln Library has excluded seven individuals during 2019. That equates to just 0.005% of visitors, an extremely low figure, particularly for a public facility situated in a busy city centre.

“The Library remains a welcoming space for the whole community and anti-social behaviour is dealt with promptly in order to keep it so.”

Across Greater Lincolnshire, 83 people have been banned from libraries over the past five years.

Louth and Horncastle libraries have both barred two each over their behaviour, while Grantham, Spalding, Stamford, Long Sutton and Market Rasen libraries barred just one person each.

Gainsborough, Mablethorpe, Sleaford and Woodhall Spa libraries have not had to take any action.

Two people were banned from Grimsby library for urinating in a public place.

Urinating in a public place leads to North East Lincolnshire bans

North East Lincolnshire’s list of ban reasons include two people last year urinating in a public place – though it does not say if this was inside or outside the library.

The authority has handed out the punishment to a total of 39 people over the past five years, with the majority (19) in Grimsby. In Immingham a total of 14 people have been banned, while Cleethorpes has seen just six.

Most of the reasons are down to disruptive or anti-social behaviour or aggressive and threatening behaviour.

North Lincolnshire has banned three people from its libraries since 2015 including three from Barton-upon-Humber for threats of violence and two in Brigg for “vexatious behaviours”.

Leisure centres see “public affray” and “deposit of excrement”

Facilities across Greater Lincolnshire have banned 53 people from returning following incidents including a “deposit of excrement” left at one centre.

Magna Vitae, which runs centres across East Lindsey District Council, revealed the details were among one of two barrings it has issued.

The incident took place at Meridian Leisure Centre, in Louth, in early 2018. The customer was given the temporary ban as a result of abusive behaviour – including the brown “gift”. It is unclear where the deposit was left.

A customer in Louth left a “deposit of excrement” during one incident.

In late 2018 a temporary ban was also issued by the leisure contractor at Skegness Swimming Pool after a customer failed to heed warnings about inappropriate abusive language being used towards staff and other customers.

Chief Executive Mark Humphreys said he was “pleased to say these incidents are very few and far between”.

“We always take what we deem to be a fair approach to give warnings about unacceptable behaviour before, if it becomes necessary, a ban is issued,” he said.

“We have only ever issued temporary bans.”

Seven people were banned from The Pods, in Scunthorpe, for public affray.

North Lincolnshire stopped seven people from entering The Pods, in 2019 which is run by the authority, after they were involved in”public affray” at the facilities.

The majority of bans across the rest of Lincolnshire are also mainly for people being violent or abusive to colleagues or other customers, with leisure centres in West Lindsey banning three people, Boston Borough two and North Kesteven and South Kesteven just one each.

South Holland’s leisure centres have not had any bans in that time period.

  • City of Lincoln Council had not responded to the request for information on leisure centres by the time of publication.

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