Metal fencing has been put up outside a Ladbrokes on Stapleton Road in Easton in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour. Neighbouring business owners believe that the barriers will stop people from gathering outside the betting shop.
Stapleton Road Working Group held a series of meetings with council officers and the police to get the fences installed, which Ladbrokes agreed to do. The group of local businesses said people standing outside the betting shop are causing ‘anti-social behaviour’.
The main entrance to Ladbrokes on Stapleton Road has a series of steps where small groups of people gathered. The entrance and the small set of stairs is now completely blocked off and the betting shop can now only be accessed via the side door at the end of St Mark's Road.
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Arif Khan, owner of Brunel Associates, a Letting Agents on Stapleton Road and chair of the local traders' association, admits the fences may just cause people to gather somewhere else along the road. The traders had previously worked with First Bus to remove the seats from the nearby bus stop to prevent people from gathering, which Mr Khan says was negatively impacting some of the businesses.
He said: “We’ve had various meetings about this and the anti-social behaviour. We had to get involved, the Stapleton Road Working Group, all the businesses.
“The seats were removed from the bus stop and then they moved to the corner and thanks to Ladbrokes, which we are grateful for, they are fencing it all off. It helps. We had a meeting with sergeant and Trinity Crimestoppers. It’s been good, they’ve helped a great deal as well as the Bristol City council officers.”
Ladbrokes and Bristol City Council have been approached for a comment.
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