Police give dispersal order after Peterborough car meet concerns

Police say a car meet is expected to take place in Peterborough on Saturday evening

A dispersal order has been put in place after reports that a planned car meet is to take place in Peterborough.

The whole of Cambridgeshire will be covered by the order which aims to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Dispersal orders will be in place between 17:00 GMT on Saturday and 07:00 on Sunday.

Police said planned car meets are intended for "good-natured car enthusiasts", but the events "have a history of becoming anti-social".

Dispersal orders grant officers the power to direct anyone involved in, or suspected of being involved in, anti-social or criminal activities to leave the area or face arrest.

'Dangerous driving'

Insp Connor Hall said: "Car meets and the associated anti-social behaviour has been a problem in Peterborough for some time.

"It is an ongoing priority for our Peterborough Neighbourhood Policing Team to tackle.

"Although these events are often intended to be a good-natured for car enthusiasts, they also have a history of becoming anti-social and cause issues for the local community due to behaviour such as excessive noise, reckless and dangerous driving, and causing damage to road surfaces.

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"Over the weekend, we will have patrols in place across the city, particularly the known hotspot locations for these meets, to enforce the dispersal order."

The dispersal order followed reports that a car meet was due to take place on Saturday evening.