Hillingdon councillor David Simmonds told the Today programme that “there is huge public demand” for councils to respond to public nuisances and defended the rise in fines for breaches of “petty” council orders.
However, lawyer Rosie Brighouse said powers to stop such behaviour are too broad and misused.
Campaign group the Manifesto Club has called for Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) to be scrapped.