Kent County Councillor for Broadstairs John Finch has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking an emergency ‘special grant’ for policing to help halt antisocial behaviour plaguing commuters on coastal train services, stations, high streets and beaches.
Cllr Finch says the move follows warnings that Kent Police may be forced to spend thousands of pounds in expensive officer overtime. This is because although officer numbers remain the same, geographic relocation alters operational expenditure.
Cllr Finch says moving officers stalls other parts of Kent Police’s ability to manage casework, extending investigation times and creating possible increases in long-term administrative costs.
Recent financial disclosures reveal that despite a 3.99% council tax increase this year, Kent Police is battling a £2.9 million funding shortfall this financial year.
The force will, however, benefit from an additional £1.2m of funding from the Home Office to support the deployment of a further 43 police officers into Neighbourhood Policing, in addition to the 65 delivered this year.
By the end of 2026/27, this will result in an additional 108 officers working in local neighbourhoods, tackling antisocial behaviour and responding to community concerns.
British Transport Police is also suffering an £8.5 million shortfall. Cllr Finch says this could result in Kent Police officers ating as a” free security service ” for train operator Southeastern.
BTP isn’t publicly funded – most of its funding comes from a levy paid by train operating companies. The amount for this levy is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA).
Recently, the BTPA approved a lower funding increase than BTP had requested – 4.6% instead of 9.8% – which has led to the funding shortfall.
The emergency Home Office intervention is being requested alongside a proposal to update rail bylaws. Cllr Finch says this includes a public transport dress code preventing the wearing of beachwear and bikinis which is based around hygiene, aesthetics standards and safety.
Codes like this exist in transport authorities internationally, such as Australia, following complaints about unhygienic conditions.
Cllr Finch says other interventions could include automatic revocation of taxpayers -subsidised youth discount tickets for anyone caught offending on the rail network or breaking Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO’s).
Cllr Finch said: “Our coastal communities are being held to ransom by gangs of disruptive teenagers using the train network as a playground for disorder.
“Local taxpayers are paying a premium for policing yet officers are being pulled away from solving neighborhood crimes to act as bouncers at train stations.
“The police are broke, British Transport Police is facing job cuts, and the current high visibility response is a ticking time bomb.
“Southeastern trains must start taking responsibility. If these teenagers cannot behave, their digital ticket smart cards must be blocked and their youth discount permanently stripped away.
“Until then, the Home Secretary must step in with emergency funds before our local policing budget is entirely depleted this summer.”
Last month, Southeastern said enforcement officers were carrying out high visibility patrols and there is a dedicated British Transport Police (BTP) tasking team.
The rail firm also has powers to issue banning notices.
The train operator is deploying additional security officers to Broadstairs Station throughout the summer and working closely with British Transport Police and Kent Police to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Scott Brightwell, Safety, Planning and Performance Director at South Eastern Railway, said: “We understand concerns about anti‑social behaviour, and we want everyone using our railway to feel safe and welcome.
“Our immediate focus at Broadstairs, as across the network, is tackling anti‑social behaviour with the British Transport and Kent Police directly through visible enforcement and close partnership working.
“We continually review the joint tasking of resources from police officers to additional security staff, this will see additional resources at Broadstairs over the summer which we will keep under review.”
Kent Police has been using additional powers through dispersal orders to move on anyone suspected of antisocial behaviour in response to trouble last year and during the late May bank holiday this year.
Officers also use Community Protection Warnings as well as carrying out educational visits to schools to explain rules around antisocial behaviour and the consequences.
East Thanet MP Polly Billington has been calling for Southeastern to install ticket barriers at Broadstairs railway station in a bid to crackdown on youths travelling to the town to cause trouble.
Her campaign is in response to concerns raised by police and residents about the role that unchecked rail travel is playing in spikes of disorder around Thanet’s beaches and town centres that correlates with warmer weather and the summer tourist season.
Thanet council has now enacted its latest Public Spaces Protection Order to provide additional enforcement powers to tackle alcohol-related antisocial behaviour on the isle.
Home Office special grants provide supplementary financial assistance to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) for unexpected, exceptional events—such as large-scale public disorder or major incidents—if the costs exceed 1% of the force’s annual budget.
Ridiculous to expect our police force to suddenly conjure up large numbers of extra officers throughout the summer and not give them extra funding. Well done Cllr. Finch for highlighting the issue. Let’s hope the relevant people listen.
No surprise to learn Broadstairs has special needs.
Thankfully, no one will listen to councillor Finch, in government. That’s one of the few good things regarding our democracy in the UK, while councillor Finch can be elected by a certain demographic in our population, the people with real power can ignore him completely. Suggesting, how people should dress! On one hand, you have people suggesting how ethnic minorities who are devout Muslims shouldn’t cover up completely in line with their religious beliefs, and now we have the suggestion that white English people should cover up. I have news for councillor Finch, nothing will change on the back of his intervention.
Government has little spare cash when it’s spending millions on housing illegal immigrants, unable to deal with the enormous benefits Bill every month . At the same to taxing the wealth creators and home owners into inactivity .