Why Stafford wants to ban face coverings across the borough

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Stafford Borough councillor Jill Hood, cabinet member for community, said coverings of the sort being targeted could be “extremely intimidating”.

“It’s quite a big problem,” she added. “It seems to be a uniform at the moment that younger people have adopted through certain types of music – it looks cool and they think it’s great to go out like that.

“You can’t see the physical movement of the face, you can only see the eyes, and you’ve no idea if they’re going to commit a crime of if they’re out for a bit of fun and they think they look great.”

Hood said the council had received complaints from residents and the police, adding that many elderly people were often nervous about people wearing face masks approaching them.

“You could be out for a walk in the evening and you’re approached. Normally these people aren’t on their own, they’re in a gang with their face masks on,” the councillor said.

“That is a very scary moment, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

She said it had affected a lot of people, adding: “We’ve got some gorgeous-looking young people out there, why on earth would they want to cover up their beautiful faces?”