POWERS TO STOP MARINA TROUBLE
BANNING ORDERS IN PLACE OVER SUMMER
POLICE will try to stop antisocial behaviour in Swansea Marina by giving officers the power to ban people from the area over the next six months.
A Section 35 order covering the Swansea Marina area will be in place until mid-september.
It will give police officers the power to exclude someone (over the age of 10) from the area for up to 48 hours by issuing a written notice.
It comes after complaints of antisocial behaviour were made by residents in the flats and apartments bordering the beach over recent weeks.
Torched motorbikes, patio furniture being used for beach bonfires and even a mass brawl have blighted the lives of the people living next to the popular beach this month alone.
On March 1, shocking footage showed a large crowd kicking and hitting each other and rolling on the ground, and residents reported night after night of youths gathering in the area.
Following the brawl, one resident, who did not want to be named, said: “They were all the way along the promenade on that evening in large groups. I’d say there were about 50 of them in total, one group blending with another and no social distancing.
“They were blocking the width of the prom. It’s intimidating and I know friends who were much nearer to it [the fight] were terrified.
“I understand they are champing at the bit to get out but they really are not considering other people at all.”
Other residents said they felt “scared” in their homes and appealed to South Wales Police for help. In response, patrols in the areas were stepped up and local businesses in the Marina are being advised to secure loose timber and pallets that might be used to start bonfires.
A Section 35 order can be brought in by police under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and aims to “ensure the safety of the public, and reduce the risk of any antisocial behaviour or disorder” within a specific area.