Police could get new powers to carry out on-the-spot drug tests and fines under plans considered by ministers

POLICE could get new powers to carry out on-the-spot drug tests and fines on thugs and suspected criminals under radical proposals.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman is pushing for the new powers as part of a tough crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Louts who terrorise their neighbours will also have to carry out more community service locally as part of the new “visible justice” drive.

Nitrous oxide – better known as laughing gas or hippy crack – could also be banned.

The triple whammy of measures are in the early stages of being discussed by ministers and still not signed off.

But No10 wants to show it is getting tough on anti-social behaviour after alarming polls revealed a growing number of Brits think it is out-of-control.

A Whitehall source told Trending In The News on Sunday: “Ministers know anti-social behaviour and crime is a major scourge.

“They are working on a new plan which is all about visible justice – showing people the authorities are cracking down on this stuff.”

Cops would only be allowed to demand on-the-spot drug tests of thugs suspected of criminal or anti-social behaviour.

It is not known how big the fines would be.

Meanwhile, plans to toughen up community service are also being floated.

Ministers want to link the sentence to where the loutish behaviour was carried out.

So, if a thug has defaced a local school with graffiti they would be asked to clean it off that school rather than sent to carry out other work elsewhere.

Another Whitehall source said: “The number of hours of community service done fell during Covid. They want to increase it.

“They are also looking at linking it to where you have carried out the anti-social behaviour. So if you deface a school you have to clean up that school.

“People can see you are being punished and cleaning up your mess.

“But this will only be done where it makes sense. The most important thing is still to make offenders carry out the work – even if this is not in their neighbourhood.”