Dispersal order for Ilkeston after anti-social reports

The order allows police to move people out of the area and take those under 16 home

A dispersal order which covers a Derbyshire town centre and three green areas has come into force.

The order covers most of Ilkeston's centre and includes Victoria Park, Rutland recreation ground and Pewit golf course.

Giving police additional powers to move people on, it started at 16:00 BST on Friday and runs for 48 hours.

Police said it was a response to numerous reports of anti-social behaviour by groups of youths.

The dispersal order allows police to disperse people from the stated areas, and, if they are involved in instances of anti-social behaviour, take anyone under 16 back to their home.

At the end of the initial period an assessment can be carried out and a further block of up to 48 hours can be authorised if necessary.

Insp Ed Browne, who leads policing in the area, said: "Over the last few weekends, we've received reports of large groups of youths behaving in an anti-social way, in particular at Rutland Park but also on streets around the town.

"The impact this can have on people living in Ilkeston is huge and having this dispersal order in place gives us the powers to tackle it more robustly."