Leigh town centre offender handed court injunction
A persistent offender who caused distress to visitors and businesses in Leigh town centre has been hit with a court injunction.
Beverley Mayers, of no fixed abode, will be subject to strict conditions to curb outbreaks of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and to protect public safety.
The application by Wigan Council was supported by Greater Manchester Police and partner organisations under the borough’s Community Safety Partnership.
A county court hearing was told Mayers had been observed on at least 20 occasions between February and May 2025 drinking alcohol in public spaces in areas covered by the town’s Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
This had led to verbally aggressive and intimidating behaviour, including shouting and disruptive behaviour late at night, the court heard.
Officers from Wigan Council’s community resilience team said her actions ‘undermine the purpose of the PSPO and the efforts of local services to maintain a safe and welcoming public space’ and were having a ‘detrimental effect on the local community.’
Councillor Kevin Anderson, cabinet portfolio holder for police, crime and civil contingencies, said “We believe this approach to be necessary and proportionate given the nature of the repeat offending and failure to engage with support services.
“Although enforcement action is often a last resort, I hope this sends a clear message that we will take the necessary steps to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for everyone in Leigh town centre.
“Unfortunately, this individual has stopped engaging with support services and previous interventions have not deterred this behaviour. We hope this situation changes and the case will be reviewed accordingly.”
Chief Inspector Sam Davies from GMP’s Wigan and Leigh district said “Our role is to protect our communities from harm; to ensure that people feel safe where they live, work and socialise.
“This individual was making the town an unwelcoming place to visit. Members of the public that should be safe in our town centres were subjected to aggressive and intimidating behaviour.
“We are pleased to have worked alongside Wigan Council to have secured this order, and we hope this sends a clear message to those who decide to engage in persistent anti-social behaviour, that we will take necessary enforcement action.
“Across our town centres, neighbourhood teams are working hard to tackle criminality as part of our Safe4Summer campaign. For further information on what your local neighbourhood teams are doing, sign up to our community messaging platform Bee in the Loop (external link) or visit the dedicated Safe4Summer (external link) page on our website.”
The injunction is in place until July 30, 2026. Breaches are treated as contempt of court offences and punishments can include fines or imprisonment.
Councillor Anderson added: “This is a strong example of the partnership approach in place across our borough that should provide reassurance to the wider public and a precedent for future intervention, if required.”
The conditions of the injunction state that Beverley Mayers must not (whether by herself or by instructing or encouraging or permitting any other person) :
- Engage in or threaten conduct likely to cause nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm, or distress within Leigh Town Centre
- Consume alcohol in any public place (excluding licensed premises) within the defined area
- Be in possession of any opened vessel containing or appearing to contain alcohol in public within the town centre
- Gather in a group of more than four individuals, including herself, within the designated boundary.
Posted on Wednesday 20th August 2025