Car cruise clampdown to be extended following success

A DISPERSAL order to combat “cruises” – informal meetings of car enthusiasts – in the Castleford and Pontefract areas has been so successful it has been extended.

A six month order granted last August covering the Xscape, Junction 32 Retail Park and Pontefract Racecourse areas has now been extended to this August and now includes the Park Road Retail Park.

Inspector Ian Williams, of Castleford Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I am really pleased with the impact that this action has had on tackling vehicle nuisance and other issues in the area and am pleased that we will be able to build on this success with the extension of the dispersal order.

“The results speak for themselves – there have been no organised cruises on the scale of last summer. The dispersal order has enabled us to manage the minority of cars that do attend on Sundays. The Premier Hotel has had to reimburse only one guest as a result of disturbed sleep. Complaints from residents in the Glasshoughton area have dropped off dramatically.

“The car parks and fast food venues in and around Glasshoughton do attract cruise activity and it is important that we continue to manage this. I do not want a return to speeding and nuisance vehicles which residents tell us have blighted their lives. Above all, they can be dangerous.

“During the last few months there has been a growing trend of large groups of travellers attending at Xscape on a Sunday and causing problems. We have drafted extra patrols into the area as a result and a number of joint operations have either taken place or are planned for the future.”

Under the dispersal order, police and community support officers have powers to order people out of a designated area, if they believe they could go on to commit acts of anti-social behaviour.

Anyone ordered out of the area is banned from returning for a period of 24 hours.

Young people aged under 16 are also prohibited from public spaces within the dispersal order zone from 9pm through to 6am, unless they are accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult, under the new measures.