Section 34 Dispersal Zone introduced in Wirral

We have introduced a Dispersal Zone in Wirral this afternoon, Friday 26 March, following reports of anti-social behaviour in the New Ferry area.

The order runs from 3pm today until 2am on Sunday 28 March. Officers will be in the area to provide a visible presence and deal with any incidents.

The Dispersal Zone covers the area bounded by the map and includes Bedford Drive, Thornton Road, Bracken Lane, Heath Road, The Village, parts of Port Sunlight (as shown), the A41, Bolton Road, and Bedford Drive.

The order comes under Section 34 of the Anti-Social Behaviour & Policing Act 2014, which gives police officers and police community support traffic officers powers to direct people they suspect are causing or likely to cause crime, nuisance or anti-social behaviour to members of the public to leave a designated area and not return for up to 48 hours.

Under the legislation, officers have the power to seize any item, including vehicles, used in the commission of anti-social behaviour.

Should a person who has previously been directed to leave the area return, an offence would be committed, which they may ultimately be arrested for.

Community Policing Inspector Tom Welch said: “Unfortunately we have received a number of reports from local residents that a minority of youths in these areas are engaged in anti-social behaviour, including graffiti, criminal damage, and taking residential bins to light - as well as being abusive towards residents when challenged over their behaviour. This has understandably left many residents feeling fearful and intimidated.
"As well as causing nuisance, the young people involved are also putting themselves at risk of serious injury due to the unpredictable nature of their behaviour in large groups.

"We understand the impact that such acts have on the local community, and so we have introduced this dispersal zone to give us the powers we need to deal with this behaviour.”

You can pass any information on anti-social behaviour via our social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter or 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook with reference number 21000192435. You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.