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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Residents in Preston say locks on some alley gates installed to help reduce crime have been tampered with and jammed with substances. The report identifies Manchester Road in Frenchwood; Preston City Council described the damage as criminal damage, but no suspects or incident total were reported.
What was reported about the gates?
A report published by The 1 News on 3 October 2026 said residents had reported tampering with locks on Preston alley gates, including substances put into the locks. Manchester Road in Frenchwood was named as one location. The report says Preston City Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was aware of what it called criminal damage. It does not identify who caused the damage or provide a count of affected gates or incidents. The 1 News report
The report says there are about 125 streets with alley gates in Preston. That is the report’s approximate figure, not a confirmed council-wide count of gates or a figure verified on the council’s page.
Why are alley gates installed?
Preston City Council says its Public Spaces Protection (Gating in the City of Preston) Order 2023 allows specified alleys to be closed with locked gates to help reduce criminal and antisocial activity. These are arrangements made under a public-space order, rather than simply private household locks. Preston City Council: Alley Gates
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The council describes access exceptions for adjoining property owners or occupiers, emergency services and statutory service providers. It says pedestrians can use alternative routes through adjoining streets. Preston City Council: Alley Gates
What have residents said about the gates?
Consultation comments reported in the news story were mixed. Some respondents said gates improved security or reduced nuisance, theft and drug-related activity. Others raised concerns about fly-tipping by keyholders and gates being left open. These are residents’ accounts, not measured evidence that gates reduced crime or caused the reported problems.
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The report also names Ainslie Road in Plungington, where one resident called for gates and said drug dealing had increased. That is the resident’s account, not independently verified evidence of a trend.
Councillor Connor Dwyer was quoted as saying: “The council has listened to the feedback from the consultation and responded to concerns about antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping.” The quotation is attributed to the news report, not to a published council transcript. The 1 News report
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What did the council say it would do?
Dwyer said damaged gates and locks would be repaired and nearby residents informed. The report also says he described visible patrols at key times and community protection warnings for repeated antisocial behaviour. It gives no repair timetable or incident total.
What happens to the gating orders?
The council’s Alley Gates page describes a proposal to extend existing orders until 19 October 2029 without changing current arrangements. The page lists 1 September 2026 as the consultation deadline, which had passed by 3 October 2026. The reviewed page does not state the consultation outcome, so it does not establish whether the extension was approved.
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Do the gates demonstrably cut crime?
The reviewed news report and council page provide no named crime-reduction statistic or measured before-and-after result. The stated purpose of the order and residents’ positive comments explain why some support the gates, but they do not establish how much crime or antisocial behaviour the gates prevent.
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