Police issue a dispersal order

CRIMINAL damage, drug-related activity, and public order offences in Hilsea have forced officers to issue a dispersal order.

The law, issued yesterday for the Howard Road area, gives police the ability to move people on and stop them from returning within 48 hours.

Officers have been conducting extra patrol sin the area,with Hi ls ea ward councillor Scott Payter-Harris claiming residents have been ‘scared to go out of their homes’.

Police Sergeant Lewis Swan, who covers Hilsea, Copnor, Drayton and Farlington, said most of the trouble has been caused by youngsters.

He said: ‘We are aware that these incidents are being caused by a very small minority of our young population, and having spoken to and worked alongside the local communities on this issue. We know how much this anti-social behaviour is impacting on people’s lives.

‘This is simply not acceptable.

‘While we have ensured that we have extended our patrols in the area, we also feel that making use of these powers to disperse groups of people will help us further to tackle this issue on this occasion.’

The order, which covers Northern Parade, Alex Way and Matapan Road – among other streets – came into force at 4pm yesterday. It will be lifted tomorrow at 3.59pm.

As previously reported in The News, Cllr Scott PayterHarris said gangs and people riding mopeds overnight were frightening people, and extra patrols were necessary.

He said: ‘It’s a really good thing because residents have been telling us they’re scared to go out of their homes.

‘The residents have been telling us gangs of people have been walking round the streets at night, which is causing a significant problem. ‘It’ s intimidating for people .’ The new powers issued to officers, under the Section 34 dispersal order, allows them to stop people from loitering in the streets.

It is a criminal offence not to comply. Anyone under 16 will be taken back to their home address by police.

Hampshire police said they will be working with local communities, housing providers, landlords, and local businesses, to come up with along term solution. A number of incidents have taken place near Howard Road, including vandals knocking down a church wall and damaging a community centre.